Lack of association between integrin αβ gene polymorphisms and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Han Chinese from Hubei, China.

Hantaviruses belong to the family Bunyaviridae and cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in humans. β integrins, including αβ and αβ integrins, act as receptors on endothelial cells and play key roles in cellular entry during the pathogenesis of hantaviruses. Previous study demonstrated that the polymorphisms of integrin αβ are associated with susceptibility to hantavirus infection and the disease severity of HFRS in Shaanxi Province of China, rather than in Finland. However, the polymorphisms of integrin αβ in patients with HFRS was incompletely understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the associations between polymorphisms in human integrin αβ and HFRS in Han Chinese individuals. Ninety patients with HFRS and 101 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Analysis of five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites (rs3768777 and rs3738919 on ITGAV; rs13306487, rs5921, and rs5918 on ITGB3) was performed by TaqMan SNP genotyping assays and bi-directional PCR allele-specific amplification method. No significant differences were observed between the HFRS group and controls regarding the genotype and allele frequency distributions of any of the five SNP sites, and no associations were found between ITGAV polymorphisms/genotypes and disease severity. In conclusion, our results implied that these five SNPs in the integrin αβ gene were not associated with HFRS susceptibility or severity in Han Chinese individuals in Hubei Province.