Association of polymorphisms in interleukin-18 and interleukin-28B genes with outcomes of hepatitis B virus infections: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Several polymorphisms in the interleukin-18 (IL-18) and nterleukin-28B (IL-28B ) genes have been reported to influence hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the published findings have been conflicting.We conducted meta-analyses of randomized, controlled trials to address the association of IL-18 or IL-28B polymorphisms and the outcomes of HBV infection. Weipu, Wanfang, CNKI, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were employed to search for citations using the MeSH terms as "interleukin-18"/ "interleukin-28B" AND "HBV" AND "gene" AND "polymorphism" without any restriction in language and publication year. Metaanalysis was conducted by RevMan 5.0 software. The results showed that the IL28B rs8099917 AA genotype (AA vs AC+ CC: odds ratio (OR)=0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 0.46-0.87) was associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Carriage of IL28B rs12979860 CC genotype was associated with an increased risk for developing liver cirrhosis among patients with HBV infection (CC vs CT+ TT: OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.04-1.85). Further well-designed large studies are warranted to confirm the mechanisms by which these are involved in these outcomes of HBV infection. © International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM) 2013.