A Study on the Association between CCRΔ32 Mutation and HCV Infection in Iranian Patients

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the coding region of the Chemokine Receptor 5 (CCR5) genes reduce or eliminate CCR5 expression in immune cells and progression of HCV infection. This study aimed to investigate the role of this mutation in HCV infection in Iranian patients in comparison with healthy individuals. METHODS: 100 HCV infected patients and 100 healthy individuals were randomly selected. The CCR5Δ32 genotypes were determined using specific primers and PCR method. RESULTS: The agarose gel electrophoresis showed a189-bp fragment from wild type for both alleles of CCR5 gene. The CCR5-Δ32 allele was not found in any HCV infected and healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The mutation in CCR5 gene was not detected in any of the two groups; therefore, the role of CCR5 gene expression in immune cells and progression of HCV infection needs to be studied in larger samples in our country.