ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the possible relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to intrauterine HBV infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and fifty-six children, including 130 infants born to HBsAg positive mothers were divided into two groups: forty-five children with intrauterine HBV infection (group I) and 85 children without intrauterine HBV infection (group II), with a control group of 126. TNF-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism was examined in all 256 children, by means of real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A significant difference of TNF-alpha-238A allele frequency was found between group I and group II (x2=6.797, P=0.009), and between group I and the controls group (x2=0.047, P=0.002), but there was no significant difference between group II and the control groups (x2=0.047, p=0.828).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study found that genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor-a was associated with intrauterine HBV infection</p>