Relationship between HLA-DQ Gene Polymorphism and Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the predominant risk factor for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The association between HBV infection and human leukocyte antigen- (HLA-) DQ polymorphism (rs2856718 and rs7453920) has been demonstrated in other studies; however, the results were controversial or inconclusive. Therefore, to derive a more precise estimation of the association, a meta-analysis was performed. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of association between HLA-DQ polymorphism (rs2856718 and rs7453920) and HBV infection risk. A total of 11 articles were used to evaluate the effect of the two polymorphisms on risk of HBV infection. The pooled data showed that HLA-DQ rs2856718-G polymorphism showed protection against HBV infection, and rs2856718-A was a risk factor for chronic HBV infection. The pooled risk estimates indicated that HLA-DQ rs7453920-A polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of HBV infection, and rs7453920-G serves as a risk factor in HBV infection. However, these stratified analyses were lacking credibility due to the limitation of correlational study numbers; further investigation on a large population and different ethnicities is warranted.