Lack of an Association between CD14 Gene Variants and Disease Manifestations in Chronic Hepatitis C

Objective: Progressive hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis develops in patients with chronic liver diseases irrespectively of etiology and with a marked inter-individual variability. Gut-derived bacterial lipopolysaccharides (endotoxin) have been shown to act as cofactors exacerbating ongoing liver disease. The T allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs2569190 / C-159T, in the endotoxin receptor CD14 gene has been reported to be related to susceptibility to ethanol-induced liver cirrhosis. Our study aimed at analyzing the association of this SNP with disease progression in chronic hepatitis C. Materials a…