Moreover, interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment markedly decreased UBE2L3 expression, while UBE2L3 silencing reinforced the antiviral activity of IFN-α on HBV RNAs, cccDNA, and DNA. rs59391722 in UBE2L3 was correlated with HBV DNA suppression and HBeAg loss in response to IFN-α treatment of children with CHB.
Other polymorphisms in or near the genes EHMT2, TCF19, and HLA-C, located near HLA class II loci, and UBE2L3 were also associated with persistent HBV infection.