Association of PRKAA1 gene polymorphisms with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Chinese Han population

OBJECTIVE: Studies have indicated that AMPK play critical roles in the regulation of innate immunity and inflammatory responses. However, the role of the polymorphisms of PRKAA1 gene in immune-response to infectious organisms remains unknown. To evaluate the potential role of PRKAA1/AMPKα1 in the immune-response to HBV, we conducted this case–control study. METHODS: We recruited 276 patients (145 men and 131 women; average age, 51.6 years) with chronic HBV infection (CHB) and 303 healthy controls (166 men and 137 women; average age, 54.2 years). All the subjects were unrelated individuals of Chinese Han Population. Three SNPs of PRKAA1gene were tested. RESULTS: Rs1002424 polymorphism showed significant difference in the allele frequencies, but no difference in the genotype frequencies (allele: p = 0.039411, OR95%CI = 0.783479 [0.621067–0.988362]; genotype: p = 0.104758); rs13361707 polymorphism showed significance in allele analysis, but not in genotype analysis (allele: p = 0.034749, OR95%CI = 1.284303 [1.017958–1.620335]; genotype: p = 0.098027); rs3792822 polymorphism was demonstrated to have significant differences in both genotype and allele frequencies between cases and controls (allele: p = 0.029286, OR95%CI= 0.741519 [0.566439–0.970716]; genotype: p = 0.034560). The haplotype results showed that CTG and TCA in the rs13361707–rs1002424–rs3792822 block were significantly associated with the happening of HBV (CTG: p = 0.036854, OR95%CI = 1.281 [1.015–1.617]; p = 0.030841, OR95%CI = 0.743 [0.568–0.973]). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that PRKAA1 polymorphisms may contribute to the susceptibility of chronic HBV infection in Chinese Han origin.