Published online Aug 21, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i31.5144
Revised: March 28, 2013
Accepted: July 17, 2013
Published online: August 21, 2013
Processing time: 209 Days and 3.9 Hours
AIM: To characterize high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) polymorphisms in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and determine the different patterns in patient subgroups.
METHODS: A total of 1495 unrelated Han Chinese HBV carriers were recruited in this hospital-based case-control study. The HMGB1 1176 G/C polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.
RESULTS: A significant association was observed between HMGB1 1176 G/C polymorphism and outcome of HBV infection. The subjects bearing 1176G/G genotype had an increased risk of susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis and severe hepatitis B when compared with those bearing at least one 1176C allele.
CONCLUSION: Patients with 1176G/G genotype of HMGB1 gene are more likely to have a progressive status in HBV infection.
Core tip: We analyzed the relationship between the high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1) 1176 G/C polymorphism and the susceptibility and outcome to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in a large hospital-based case-control study. Our results indicated that patients with 1176G/G genotype of HMGB1 gene are more likely to have a progressive status in HBV infection. Our study emphasizes the importance of HMGB1 in the pathophysiology of HBV-related diseases on the population level and will provide researchers new clue for the further basic research in pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection.