Background: Our recent study demonstrated a significant association between HIF-1α polymorphisms and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and HCC are progressive stages of chronic HBV infection, the aim of this study is to further determine if HIF-1α polymorphisms are associated with CHB and HBV-related LC.
Methods: Two HIF-1α polymorphisms (rs11549465 and rs115494657) were examined in 173 healthy controls, 153 patients with CHB, and 132 patients with HBV-related LC, using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. DNA sequencing was also used to validate the genotype results.
Results: There were no significant differences regarding the HIF-1α rs11549465 and rs115494657 polymorphisms between the patient groups and the healthy controls, no matter the genotypes, alleles, or haplotypes. To exclude the potential influence of HBV infection in the association between HIF-1a and HBV-related LC, a comparison between the LC patients and HBV infected patients was also conducted, but a similar insignificant result was found.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the HIF-1α gene polymorphisms might not contribute to the development of CHB and HBV-related LC in a Chinese population.
Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; Hypoxia inducible factor 1α; Liver cirrhosis; Polymorphisms.
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