Nagwa's space(VIROLOGY IN PROCESS)

The molecular studies on the correlation between hepatitis C virus infection and genes of the Major Hstocompatibility Complex (MHC) or Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA class II alleles) in hemodialysis patients revealed that DRBI*13 had high frequency of 12% compared to the patients infected with HCV only which was 35%. The studied cases were 120 persons including: (40),hepatitis c virus only, (40).Renal failure and hepatitis C virus infection, (20). Renal failure only and (20) Healthy control group. ELISA and PCR were used in a comparative study for HCV diagnosis and for HLA alleles DRBI, DQBI typing. The incidence of HCV infection occurred in high significant percentage for the individuals over 40 years old, and that was 55% for female more than male which had 45% infection. It was the opposite results for hemodialysis patients versus male and female which were 55%, 45% respectively. There was no significant difference concerning the sex for the frequencies of studied alleles. DQBI*03 (7) had significant differences comparing hemodialysis individuals with HCV and hemodialysis patients only (20% and 50% respectively). AST levels indicated that people who had HCV with hemodialysis showed high significant values for the frequency of DRBI*03 (17), 1*15 / DQBI*02, 1*03(7). While ALT levels showed DRBI*15/DQBI*04 with (80%) between the same groups of hemodialysis infected with HCV. Our data indicated that it could be possible for the DRBI*04 and DQBI*03 (8) to stimulate the immune system, between all individuals infected with HCV.While,for the individuals of hemodialysis with HCV, who had PCR negative results compared to the patient with HCV who had PCR positive, the results indicated that DRBI*04 and DQBI*03(8) over expressed in individuals with PCR negative that  were (80% and 60%). whereas individuals suffered from only HCV,the values were (17% and 14%). Our study is the first report to investigate the correlation between HCV infection and MHC genes in Saudi Arabia which could establish that certain HLA class II alleles influence the disease progression following HCV infection.