Relationship between cytokines gene polymorphism and susceptibility to hepatitis B virus intrauterine infection

Background The influences of genomic background are confirmed in more diseases. Immunologic tolerance after intrauterine infection of hepatitis B virus is considered to occur in T cells. Cytokines work effectively in eliminating virus by immune system after hepatitis B virus infection. To explore the relationship between cytokines （tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10）, which expressed abnormal quantity in the peripheral blood to intrauterine hepatitis B virus infectious children, gene single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） and susceptibility to hepatitis B virus intrauterine infection. Methods This is a cross sectional study of molecular clinical epidemiology. The subjects in this study were selected from outpatients of hepatitis B vaccine follow-up special clinics of our hospital in the period. According to intrant criteria, the high risk children of hepatitis B virus （HBV） intrauterine infection were divided into immune failure group （group Ⅰ） ; and immune effective group （group Ⅱ） and non high risk children belonged to the control group. Four gene SNP sites of TNF-α -238, IFN-γ ＋874, IL-4 -590 and IL-10 -1082 were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. Results The significant differences of TNF-α- 238 A allele frequency were found between group Ⅰand group Ⅱ（X^2 =6. 797, P 〈 0.05 ） and between group Ⅰ and the control group （ X^2 = 9. 513, P 〈 0.05 ）. No evident differences of TNF-α- 238 A were found between group Ⅱand control group （ X^2 = 0. 047, P 〉 0. 05 ） ; the significant differences of IFN-γ ＋ 874 A allele frequency were found between group Ⅰand group Ⅱ（ X^2 = 7. 238, P〈0. 05）, and between group Ⅰand the control group （X^2 =5. 199,P 〈0. 05）. No evident differences were found between groupⅡ and the control group （ X^2 =0. 602 ,P 〉0. 05 ） ; the significant differences of IL-4 -590 C/T allele frequency were not found between groupⅠand group Ⅱ （ X^2 = 0. 632, P 〉 0. 05 ） , also group Ⅰ and the control group （ x^2 = 0. 584, P 〉 0. 05 ）, and the group Ⅱ and the control group （ X^2 = 0. 004, P 〉 0. 05 ） respectively; The significant differences of IL-10 - 1082 G allele frequency were found between group Ⅱand group Ⅰ（x^2 = 10. 359,P 〈0. 001 ）, and between group Ⅱ and the controls （x^2 =35. 418,P 〈0. 001 ）, but the significant differences were not found between group Ⅰ and the control group （ X^2 = 1. 759,P 〉 0. 05 ）. Conclusions This study suggested the possibility that the TNF-α-