title: Association of HLA-DR14-DR52 with low responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine in Chinese residents in Taiwan.
abstract: To determine the HLA-linked immune response gene that controls low responsiveness to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HLA typing was performed in 33 initial non-responders (male:female = 23:10, age 1.5-46 years) who had poor antibody response (anti-HBs < 10 mIU ml-1) after four doses of plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. Of 33 initial non-responders, 26 received two additional doses of either the same vaccine (n = 18) or recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (n = 8) and returned for anti-HBs measurement. At 1 month after the sixth dose, anti-HBs was still < 10 mIU ml-1 in 20 cases and 10-20 mIU ml-1 in three cases. Analysis of HLA antigen frequencies in these 23 ultimate low responders revealed that nine (39%) were positive for DR14, a statistically significant association of low responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine with HLA-DR14. In addition, 26% of the ultimate low-responders were positive for DQ3, a frequency significantly lower than the expected rate in the general population. Among the nine ultimate low-responders with DR14, seven were heterozygous for this allele, while the other two cases had a single isolated DR14; and all nine were in association with DR52. These results suggest that a DR14-DR52 association, probably dominantly expressed, may be involved in the low immune responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine of the Chinese population in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C052238:HLA-DR14; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines