OBJECTIVE: To study the association between immune response to hepatitis B vaccine and HLA-DRB1*02, 07, 09 genes in the population of Han nationality in Guangdong Province. METHODS: A total of 1 400 healthy college students of Han nationality from Guangdong Province were recruited in this study, who received standard courses of vaccination with recombinant hepatitis B virus vaccine at month 0, 1 and 6. Eight weeks after the final vaccination, the serum levels of anti-HBs antibody was examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Detection of HLA-DRB1*02, 07, 09 alleles were performed with PCR using sequence-specific primers in 118 individuals who failed to produce or produced insufficient antibodies (nonresponders or weak responders), 100 normal responders and 45 strong responders. RESULTS: The frequency of HLA-DRB1*07 in nonresponders or weak responders was significantly higher than that in normal or strong responders (15.25% vs 3.44%, P<0.05), while the frequency of HLA-DRB1*02 was much lower (5.08% vs 17.9%, P<0.05). The frequency of HLA-DRB1*09 showed no obvious difference between the 2 groups (19.49% vs 17.9%, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Failure or deficiency in the response to HBV vaccine is associated with the HLA-DRB1*07 gene, while HLA-DRB1*02 gene is related to the normal vaccination process or overreaction. Definite relation of HLA-DRB1*09 to the response to HBV vaccine is not found.
OBJECTIVE: To study the association between immune response to hepatitis B vaccine and HLA-DRB1*02, 07, 09 genes in the population of Han nationality in Guangdong Province. METHODS: A total of 1 400 healthy college students of Han nationality from Guangdong Province were recruited in this study, who received standard courses of vaccination with recombinant hepatitis B virus vaccine at month 0, 1 and 6. Eight weeks after the final vaccination, the serum levels of anti-HBs antibody was examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Detection of HLA-DRB1*02, 07, 09 alleles were performed with PCR using sequence-specific primers in 118 individuals who failed to produce or produced insufficient antibodies (nonresponders or weak responders), 100 normal responders and 45 strong responders. RESULTS: The frequency of HLA-DRB1*07 in nonresponders or weak responders was significantly higher than that in normal or strong responders (15.25% vs 3.44%, P<0.05), while the frequency of HLA-DRB1*02 was much lower (5.08% vs 17.9%, P<0.05). The frequency of HLA-DRB1*09 showed no obvious difference between the 2 groups (19.49% vs 17.9%, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Failure or deficiency in the response to HBV vaccine is associated with the HLA-DRB1*07 gene, while HLA-DRB1*02 gene is related to the normal vaccination process or overreaction. Definite relation of HLA-DRB1*09 to the response to HBV vaccine is not found.