Evaluation of natural killer cell receptor variation as genetic risk factor for the development of advanced fibrosis and increased liver stiffness in patients with chronic liver d…

Introduction: Recently the natural killer cell receptor G2D (NKG2D) has been shown to be involved in NK-cell induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Because stellate cells also play a critical role in liver fibrosis development we speculate that functional polymorphisms in this gene influence fibrosis progression. Thus we studied the influence of a common NKG2D polymorphism that has also been associated to cholangiocarcinoma on liver stiffness, as determined by vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Patients and methods: Patients with chronic liver d…