title: Genetic variants associated with susceptibility to mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The mechanisms of immune tolerance to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in children infected perinatally or early in infancy still remain unclarified. We aimed to study the genetic variants of immune factors implicated in viral-host interaction in children who were born to HBV-positive mothers and who had different clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mannose-binding lectin gene (mbl2) codon 54, codon 57, and promoter 221 variants, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) 308G/A, and vitamin D receptor (VDR) ApaI and TaqI genotypes were analyzed in three groups of children born to HBV-positive mothers: children with chronic infection (n=33), those with resolved infection (n=36), and those naive for HBV (n=33).
  
  
  RESULTS
  TNF-α -308G allele frequency was found to be increased in children with chronic infection compared with children who were not affected by HBV [risk ratio (RR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.25; P=0.050]. The VDR ApaI A allele tended to be more frequent in children with chronic infection than in those with resolved HBV infection (RR 1.27, 95% CI 0.95-1.67; P=0.071). The VDR ApaI α allele in ApaI and TaqI joint haplotype αT was more frequent in children with resolved infection than in those with chronic infection (RR 1.74, 95% CI 0.97-3.13; P=0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that TNF-α and vitamin D pathways may be involved in the susceptibility to and outcome of HBV infection acquired early in life.
authors: Departments of aPaediatrics bGastroenterology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
authors: Virginia
authors: V
authors: Chatzidaki
authors: Despoina
authors: D
authors: Choumerianou
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Dimitriou
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: Kouroumalis
authors: Emmanouil
authors: E
authors: Galanakis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha