Awadelkarim Khalid Elyass, Osman Najem Aldin M, Eleragi A M S, Nail Abdelsalam M A, Abuzeid Nadir, Elangeeb Mohamed E, Ahmed Elsadig Mohamed, Al-Faifi Jaber Ahmed, Alhalafi Abdullah, Doghish Ahmed S, Mohammed Osama A
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Department of Microorganisms and Clinical Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 29;20(4):e0322268. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322268. eCollection 2025.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant cause of chronic hepatitis, leading to liver complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical in the immune response to HBV. This study investigates the TLR3 1377 C/T polymorphism's association with clinical outcomes in chronic hepatitis B patients.
A case-control study included 136 participants (66 cases and 70 controls). The patients were categorized as having chronic active or inactive hepatitis B based on serological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. TLR3 1377 C/T polymorphism was analyzed using PCR-RFLP. The correlation between TLR3 genotypes, HBeAg status, liver enzyme levels (ALT and AST), and symptomatic presentation was assessed.
Among the 66 cases, the CC genotype was more frequent in males with chronic active hepatitis (14 males, 5 females), but no significant gender-based difference was observed in genotype distribution. A significant association was found between the CC genotype and symptomatic presentation in chronic active cases (P = 0.015). However, no significant association was detected between TLR3 genotypes and HBeAg status (P > 0.05). Elevated ALT and AST levels were more prevalent in chronic active cases.
The TLR3 1377 C/T polymorphism, particularly the CC genotype, may influence the clinical presentation of chronic hepatitis B, particularly in symptomatic cases. However, its impact on HBeAg status and overall chronicity appears limited. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of TLR3 polymorphisms in HBV pathogenesis and their potential as therapeutic targets.
乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）是慢性肝炎的一个重要病因，可导致肝硬化和肝细胞癌等肝脏并发症。Toll样受体（TLR）在对HBV的免疫反应中起关键作用。本研究调查TLR3 1377 C/T多态性与慢性乙型肝炎患者临床结局的相关性。
一项病例对照研究纳入了136名参与者（66例病例和70名对照）。根据血清学、生化和分子参数将患者分为慢性活动性或非活动性乙型肝炎。采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性（PCR-RFLP）分析TLR3 1377 C/T多态性。评估TLR3基因型、HBeAg状态、肝酶水平（ALT和AST）与症状表现之间的相关性。
在66例病例中，CC基因型在慢性活动性肝炎男性中更为常见（14名男性，5名女性），但在基因型分布上未观察到显著的性别差异。在慢性活动性病例中，发现CC基因型与症状表现之间存在显著关联（P = 0.015）。然而，未检测到TLR3基因型与HBeAg状态之间存在显著关联（P > 0.05）。慢性活动性病例中ALT和AST水平升高更为普遍。
TLR3 1377 C/T多态性，尤其是CC基因型，可能影响慢性乙型肝炎的临床表现，特别是在有症状的病例中。然而，其对HBeAg状态和总体慢性化的影响似乎有限。需要进一步研究以阐明TLR3多态性在HBV发病机制中的作用及其作为治疗靶点的潜力。
