OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between TCM syndrome type and expression of human leucocyte antigen-DRB1 (HLA-DRB1) in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSUsing PCR method to amplify the related segments of DNA extracted from peripheral leucocytes by the routine methods, and gene array analysis was performed to detect the expression of HLA-DRB1.

RESULTSHLA-DRB1 * 13 was expressed in healthy person in the control group, but was not expressed in chronic hepatitis B patients, showing significant difference between the two groups. In the patients with five different syndrome types, i.e. the dampness blocking middle-jiao type (A), the Gan-stagnancy with Pi-deficiency type (B), the blood stasis blocking collaterals type (C), the Gan-Shen yin-deficiency type (D) and the Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (E), the former three belonged to the excessive syndrome and the latter two were deficient syndrome. Most of the CHB patients were differentiated as excessive syndrome.

CONCLUSIONDifference of HLA-DR expression exists between chronic hepatitis B patients and healthy persons, the action of the difference is remained for further confirmation. HLA-DR expression in patients with different syndrome types, excessive or deficient, might be different, too.