ASSOCIATION OF HLA-DR14-DR52 WITH LOW RESPONSIVENESS TO HEPATITIS-B VACCINE IN CHINESE RESIDENTS IN TAIWAN

To determine the HLA-linked immune response gene that controls low res ponsiveness to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HLA typing was per formed in 33 initial non-responders (male:female = 23: 10, age 1.5-46 years) who had poor antibody response (anti-HBs < 10 mIU ml-1) after f our doses of plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. Of 33 initial non-res ponders, 26 received two additional doses of either the same vaccine ( n = 18) or recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (n = 8) and returned for an ti-HBs measurement. At 1 month after the sixth dose, anti-HBs was stil l < 10 mIU ml-1 in 20 cases and 10-20 mIU ml-1 in three cases. Analysi s of HLA antigen frequencies in these 23 ultimate low responders revea led that nine (39%) were positive for DR14, a statistically significan t association of low responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine with HLA-DR 14. In addition, 26% of the ultimate low-responders were positive for DQ3, a frequency significantly lower than the expected rate in the gen eral population. Among the nine ultimate low-responders with DR14, sev en were heterozygous for this allele, while the other two cases had a single isolated DR14; and all nine were in association with DR52. Thes e results suggest that a DR14-DR52 association, probably dominantly ex pressed, may be involved in the low immune responsiveness to hepatitis B vaccine of the Chinese population in Taiwan.