| Abstract: | The host immune system plays a key role in the elimination of infected cells which depend on killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIR), human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules and their combinations. To evaluate the roles of HLAclass I, KIR genes and their combination in Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (CHC), a total of 301 CHCs and 239 controls in a Chinese Han population were included for HLA and KIR genotyping using next‐generation sequencing and multiplex PCR sequence‐specific priming, respectively. The allele frequency of HLA‐C*08:01 was significantly higher in the CHCs than that of the controls (0.088 vs. 0.040, OR = 2.332, 95%CI: 1.361–3.996, p = 0.022), while the frequencies of B*13:01 (0.032 vs. 0.084, OR = 0.357, 95%CI: 0.204–0.625, p = 0.009) and C*08:04 (0.008 vs. 0.038, OR = 0.214, 95%CI: 0.079–0.581, p = 0.022) were significantly lower in the CHCs. The frequencies of haplotype A*11:01‐C*08:01 were higher in the CHCs (0.058 vs. 0.019, OR = 3.096, 95%CI: 1.486–6.452, p = 0.026), while haplotype B*13:01‐C*03:04 were lower in the CHCs compared to the controls (0.028 vs. 0.071, OR = 0.377, 95%CI: 0.207–0.685, p = 0.012). No association of CHC with KIR genes, genotypes, or haplotypes, as well as HLA/KIR combinations was observed. Our results indicated that HLA‐C*08:01 was a risk factor for CHC, while HLA‐C*08:04 and HLA‐B*13:01 were protective factors against CHC. Haplotypes HLA‐A*11:01‐C*08:01 could increase susceptibility to CHC, while HLA‐B*13:01‐C*03:04 could be protective against CHC in the Chinese Han population. |
