Association Between the Telomerase rs2736098_TT Genotype and a Lower Risk of Chronic Hepatitis B and Cirrhosis in Chinese Males

OBJECTIVES: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is caused by infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and liver cirrhosis (LC) is its most common complication. The accumulated evidence indicates a genetic context of HBV infection phenotypes. Here we determine a potential association of CHB/LC with the genetic variant of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a key player in aging including immune-senescence. METHODS: The study included 227 Chinese CHB patients and 315 sex/age-matched healthy controls. TERT rs2736098 and rs2736100 genotyping was performed using pre-designed TaqMan SNP genotyping assay kits. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was determined using quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The rs2736098_CT/CC genotypes were significantly associated with risk of CHB compared to the TT one (OR 2.265, 95% CI 1.202–4.269, P=0.015). A similar association was also found in CHB patients with cirrhosis (CT/CC vs TT: OR 2.398, 95% CI 1.168–4.922, P=0.02). Further analyses showed that the rs2736098_TT genotype difference occurred between male controls and patients (P=0.008) and male CT/CC-carriers exhibited highly increased risk of CHB compared to male controls (CT+CC vs TT, OR 3.182, 95% CI 1.350–7.500, P=0.01). There was no difference in the rs2736100 variants between controls and CHB patients. LTL was not different between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The TERT rs2736098_TT genotype is associated with a lower CHB and LC risk in Chinese males, which may have implications in CHB pathogenesis and prevention.