<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore whether the TNFA promoter
single nucleotide polymorphisms (
SNPs) are associated with the outcomes of
hepatitis B virus(HBV)
infection in
Chinese Han
population.</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>One hundred and forty-eight
self-limited HBV
infection subjects and 207
chronic hepatitis B patients were recruited.
Polymerase chain reaction-
restriction fragment length polymorphism (
PCR-
RFLP) and sequence specific primer-
PCR(
PCR-SSP) were used to detect the
SNPs of five sites in TNFA promoter (-238G/A, -308G/A, -857C/T, -863C/A, -1031T/C). The frequency distributions of
genotypes and
haplotypes in different groups were analyzed by EPI and EH programs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of -238GG
genotype in
chronic hepatitis B patients were significantly higher than that in
self-limited
infection subjects (P=0.02). The frequencies of -857TT
genotype in
chronic hepatitis B patients were clearly lower than that in
self-limited
infection subjects (P=0.02). Haplotypic frequencies of GGCCT (-238/-308/-857/-863/-1031) in
chronic hepatitis B patients was significantly lower than that in
self-limited
infection subjects (P=0.03), and the frequencies of
haplotype GGCAT or GGTAT in
chronic hepatitis B patients were clearly higher than those in
self-limited
infection subjects (P=0.0001; P=0.004).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TNFA promoter polymorphisms are important host genetic factors affecting the outcomes of HBV
infection.</p>