BACKGROUND: Terminal hepatitis C is one of the leading indications for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). However, hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection occurs in almost all recipients and usually leads to progressive fibrosis and graft failure. Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-β) plays a part in transplanted liver cirrhosis, but nothing is known about the possible role of genetic diversity of TGF-β receptor system. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate whether genetic variation in 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of TGF-β receptor type I (TGFBR1) gene is associated with recurrence and severity of hepatitis C and liver fibrosis following OLT in HCV-infected patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group included 95 chronic hepatitis C patients following OLT. The recipients and donors were genotyped for 49245A>G (rs868) and 51976G>A (rs334349) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP).

RESULTS: Donor rs868 AA genotype was strongly associated with worse clinical course of recurrent hepatitis C. The rs868 AA group displayed more severe symptoms of hepatitis C during the follow-up and the fibrosis score in this group was significantly higher 3 years after OLT.

CONCLUSIONS: Clinical course of hepatitis C after OLT may depend on donor rs868 SNP located in TGFBR1 3’UTR.

Keywords: Hepatitis C, Liver Transplantation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide