Genetic association of estrogen receptor-alpha polymorphisms with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Gansu Province

AIM:To investigate the association between patients with HBV in Gansu Province and the polymorphisms of estrogen receptor(ER) alpha gene at the position-29.METHODS:Polymorphisms of ERα-29 were analyzed in 104 chronic hepatitis B patients,68 patients with HBV-induced cirrhosis and 80 healthy controls by polymerase chain react restriction fragment length Polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) technique.RESULTS:The frequencies of TT genotype and T allele of ERα-29 in patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBV-induced cirrhosis were higher than those in controls,while the frequencies of TC and CC genotype and C allele of ERα-29 in patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBV-induced cirrhosis were lower than those in controls(P0.01).The risk of chronic hepatitis B and HBV-induced cirrhosis occurrence in carriers with T allele was 2.58 and 3.11 folds respectively than that in controls.There was no significant difference in frequencies of allele and genotype of ERα-29 between chronic hepatitis B group and HBV-induced cirrhosis group.The frequency of ERα-29 genotypes TT and T allele in patients with HBeAg-negative was markedly higher than that in the HBeAg-positive group(P0.05).ERα-29 TT genotype had an increased tendency in the decompensated hepatocirrhosis group,but there was no statistical significance between compensatory hepatic cirrhosis group and decompensated hepatocirrhosis group.CONCLUSION:The polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha gene at the position-29 are associated with HBV infection.