[Study on the association between maternal-infantile vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus and human leukocyte antigen DR gene domain].

OBJECTIVE

To study on the association between maternal-infantile vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR gene domain.

METHODS

HLA-DR3, HLA-DR4, HLA-DR13, HLA-DR15 were detected by the technique of polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) in maternal and neonatal blood of study group (78 cases) and control group (40 cases).

RESULTS

(1) In the pregnant women of study group, the gene frequency of HLA-DR3 was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.05), but the frequency of HLA-DR13 was significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05), while the frequencies of HLA-DR4 and HLA-DR15 had no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). (2) The pregnant women with high replication condition of HBV had significantly higher frequency of HLA-DR3 than those with low replication of HBV (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of other phenotype between the two conditions. (3) The frequency of HLA-DR3 of pregnant women in intrauterine infection group was significantly higher than that of intrauterine non-infection group (P < 0.05). There had no significant difference of the frequencies of HLA-DR4, HLA-DR13, HLA-DR15 between the two groups (P > 0.05). The gene frequencies of HLA-DR3, HLA-DR4, HLA-DR13, HLA-DR15 were found no significant difference between the neonates of the study group and the control group (P > 0.05). Although the gene frequency of HLA-DR3 (30.0%) in neonates of intrauterine infection group was higher than that of intrauterine non-infection group (7.4%), but no statistical difference was found between the two group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-DR3 is positively correlated with chronic HBV carrying and high replication conditions of pregnant women. HLA-DR13 correlated negatively with chronic HBV carrying of the pregnant women. HLA-DR3 carriers of pregnant women and their fetuses have a susceptibility of HBV infection.