Summary: | OBJECTIVE: Different Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) types are linked with different clinical manifestations
of Hepatitis B virus infection. However, the association of HLA with different stages of the Hepatitis
B infected population in Kathmandu, Nepal, is not yet known.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: To understand the relationship between HLA class I (A, B, C) and HLA Class
II (DR, DQ) molecules, DNA and data on clinical history, serology, liver enzymes and copy number of the
virus in the blood samples were collected for 90 hepatitis B infected patients (including 30 immune active,
30 immune tolerant and 30 acute patients) matched to 90 healthy control individuals for HLA. Human
DNA was sequenced by next-generation sequencing.
RESULTS: Significantly higher frequencies of the HLA A*11, HLA A*68, HLA B*15, HLA C*04 and HLA
DR*15 alleles were found in patients as compared to healthy controls. In healthy controls were more
frequently found HLA A*01, A*33, B*07, B*27, B*55, C*01, C*15 and DR*04 positive (p < 0.05). HLAC*
04 (p = 0.002) was significantly higher in immune active chronic patients.
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the HLA allele frequency distribution and diversity in Hepatitis B infected
population and healthy controls in Kathmandu, Nepal. This information could also be useful as a marker
in various stages of Hepatitis B virus infection for better treatment and management of the disease on a
local basis.
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