Background: The course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is not only determined by variations in viral virulence but may be influenced by host immune response, where Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) plays an important role.
 Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore whether HLA-DRB13* allele of MHC gene had any influence in spontaneous recovery from HBV infection among Bangladeshi adults.
 Method: This cross sectional study was carried out at the Department of Virology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka Bangladesh. A total of 90 randomly selected hepatitis B virus infected adult patients, consisting of 30 acute HBV infections, 30 chronic HBV infection and 30 healthy controls were selected according to selection criteria for evaluation of HLA DRB1*13 allele. Detection of HLA DRB1*13 allele was done by conventional PCR followed by agarose gel electrophoresis.
 Result: The study revealed a significant increase of DRB1*13 in acute hepatitis B (AHB vs HC-40% vs 6.7%, RR= 9.4; P value <0.05, AHB vs CHB=40% vs 10%; RR=2.27, P value <0.05) compared to chronic hepatitis B infected (HBV) patients and healthy controls (CHB vs HC-10% vs 6.7%, RR= 1.5, P>0.05). This is the first report on HLA DRB1* gene associations among hepatitis B (HBV) infected Bangladeshi patients.
 Conclusion: The present study revealed that HLA DRB1*13 was associated with protection against persistent HBV infection among acutely infected adult HBV patients in Bangladesh.
 Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases 2019;6(2):39-43