Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Severity of Liver Steatosis in Chronically Infected Patients with HCV Genotype 4

BACKGROUND: Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism was reported as a genetic variant in liver steatosis and fibrosis. This is a study of the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and HCV core with severity of steatosis in HCV GT4 patients. METHODS: 111 HCV patients and 112 control subjects were recruited. Polymorphism was detected by RFLP analysis, core Ag was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Combined HCV infection and MTHFR C677T polymorphism increases the risk to develop steatosis by 3.63- and 5.21-fold in subjects with single (CT) and double (TT) substitutions, respectively. Patients with chronic HCV infection had a 2.88- and 8.57-fold higher risk to develop steatosis in CT and TT genotypes, respectively, than patients with the (CC) genotype. No significant difference in core Ag titers were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MTHFR C677T polymorphism is a valuable genetic marker for steatosis, while HCV core Ag titer had no association with grades of steatosis in GT4 infections.