title: Effect of HLA-DPA1 alleles on chronic hepatitis B prognosis and treatment response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major health problem. The outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with variations in HLA-DPA1 alleles. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations of HLA-DPA1 alleles with treatment response and with hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight different HLA-DPA1 alleles from 246 CHB patients were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers at high resolution to investigate the association of HLA-DPA1 alleles with treatment response, development of cirrhosis, HBeAg seroconversion, and disease reoccurrence upon HBeAg loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant association between HLA-DPA1 alleles and treatment response, development of cirrhosis, or HBeAg seroconversion. However, HLA-DPA1*04:01 allele was significantly more frequently found in patients who redeveloped disease upon HBeAg seroconversion (100% vs 36.8%: p=0.037; Fisher's exact test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HLA-DPA1*04:01 allele may be a risk factor for reoccurrence of CHB after HBeAg seroconversion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katrinli
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feruze Yilmaz
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Enc
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, University of Medical Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozdil
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, University of Medical Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gizem Dinler
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Doganay
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, University of Medical Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doganay
keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; HBeAg seroconversion; HLA-DPA1; cirrhosis; treatment response