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World J Hepatol. May 27, 2026; 18(5): 116995
Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i5.116995
Published online May 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i5.116995
Genetic polymorphism of IFI16 and AIM2 among Pakistani hepatitis C virus-induced fibrosis patients
Iqra Arshad, Mashaim Majid, Ali Amar, Mahmood S Choudhery, Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54600, Punjab, Pakistan
Bisma Rauff, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Narowal Campus, Lahore 51660, Punjab, Pakistan
Ali Amar, PKLI Institute of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center, Lahore 54920, Punjab, Pakistan
Co-first authors: Iqra Arshad and Mashaim Majid.
Author contributions: Choudhery MS, Rauff B and Amar A designed the study; Arshad I and Majid M performed the experiments and they contribute equally to this study as co-first authors; Amar A, Arshad I and Majid M analyzed the data; Amar A, Arshad I and Majid M prepared the initial draft; Choudhery MS critically reviewed the manuscript; Choudhery MS, Amar A, Arshad I, Rauff B and Majid M revised the manuscript; all the authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Undergraduate Ethical Review Committee of University of Health Sciences, Lahore (Approval No. UHS/UERC-25/SEC/03 and No. UHS/UERC-25/SEC/04).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to this study.
Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the first authors upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Mahmood S Choudhery, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Khayaban-e-Jamia Punjab, Lahore 54600, Punjab, Pakistan. ms20031@yahoo.com
Received: November 26, 2025
Revised: January 23, 2026
Accepted: March 4, 2026
Published online: May 27, 2026
Processing time: 181 Days and 15.9 Hours
Revised: January 23, 2026
Accepted: March 4, 2026
Published online: May 27, 2026
Processing time: 181 Days and 15.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Hepatic fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is influenced by complex immunogenetic factors. This study demonstrates that the AIM2 (rs2814770) TT genotype and combined carriage of variants rs1057028 (A allele) of IFI16 and rs2814770 (T allele) of AIM2 significantly increases the risk of advanced liver fibrosis in Pakistani CHC patients. A dose-dependent rise in fibrosis severity with increasing risk alleles further supports their pathogenic relevance. These findings suggest a potential role of IFI16 and AIM2 genetic variants as predictive biomarkers for fibrosis progression, underscoring the need for expanded studies to validate their clinical utility.