Association Of The Immune Response To Hepatitis B Vaccination With HLA-DRB1*15 Allele As Well As The Expression Of TGF-β1 Cytokines

Objective: To investigate the influence of the HLA-DRB*15 gene and the expression of TGF-β1 cytokine in immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in Guangxi population, elucidate the effect on the hepatitis B vaccination about the relation between HLA-DRB*15 gene and TGF-β1 cytokine, realize the underlying immunogenetic mechanism of hepatitis B vaccination failure.Methods: 935 healthy college students aged from 21 to 24 years old in one university from Guangxi province, who had received standard courses of vaccination with recombinant hepatitis B virus vaccine at month 0, 1 and 6 soon after they had been admitted into the college, were tested HBV makers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc) and liver function. According to the different immune effect, 77 vaccinees of non-or-hypor-responders (anti-HBs S/N<10) and 101 vaccinees of normal or strong responders ( anti-HBs S/N>10) were elected for the subjects. All of the vaccinees had normal liver function and negative HBV infection makers. HLA-DRB1*15 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction using sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP), and TGF-β1 cytokine by double antibody sandwich enzyme linked immununosorbent assay(ELISA).Results:①The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*15 gene was lower in the non-or hypor-responders than that of medium or hyper-responders (14.29% vs 28.71%,P=0.022);②The expression level of TGF-β1 in the non-or-hypor- responders (24.04±14.74)ng/ml was higher than that of the medium-or-hyper- responders (17.80±14.42)ng/ml(P=0.005).③No significant differences was found between the expression level of TGF-β1 in the HLA-DRB1*15 gene positive group (17.81±17.38)ng/ml and the negative one (21.28±14.00) ng/ml (P=0.194)).Conclusions:①HLA-DRB1*15 gene might be the gene enhancing the hepatitis B vaccination response in the population from Guangxi province;②The levels of TGF-β1 cytokines might affect the immune effect of hepatitis B vaccination;③HLA-DRB1*15 might not enhance the immune response to hepatitis B vaccination by the expression level of TGF-β1 cytokines.