Association of variants of interleukin 10 and 12A with the progression of hepatitis B virus infection in Caucasians

Background and Aims Interleukin (IL) 10 and IL-12 contribute to immune responses against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Polymorphisms in the IL-10 and IL-12A genes might affect the clinical outcome of HBV infection. We evaluated the association of IL-10 rs1800896 and rs3024490 and IL-12A rs568408 and rs2243115 with the progression of HBV infection and development of severe liver disease stages in a Caucasian population.