Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms. | ||||||||
|
Nucleotide change of codon 38 in the X gene of hepatitis B virus genotype C is associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.Muroyama R, Kato N, Yoshida H, Otsuka M, Moriyama M, Wang Y, Shao RX, Dharel N, Tanaka Y, Ohta M, Tateishi R, Shiina S, Tatsukawa M, Fukai K, Imazeki F, Yokosuka O, Shiratori Y, Omata M Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. BACKGROUND/AIMS: The hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the HBV X gene, which encodes the pleiotropic transactivator HBx, has also been associated with the development of HCC. In this study, we investigated whether nucleotide changes in the X gene of genotype C are associated with the development of HCC. METHODS/RESULTS: We sequenced the X gene in age- and sex-matched 39 HBV-infected patients with HCC and 36 HBV-infected patients without HCC. A novel nucleotide change that resulted in a proline to serine substitution at codon 38 in HBx (codon-38 change) was preferentially found in patients with HCC. Then, sera were collected from a new group of age- and sex-matched 52 patients with HCC and 51 patients without HCC. In this cohort also, the codon-38 change was associated with HCC. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed the prevalence of the codon-38 change was significantly associated with HCC in all patients (P=0.001, odds ratio: 4.89). CONCLUSION: The codon-38 change in genotype C is an independent risk factor for the development of HCC and may serve as a useful molecular marker for predicting the clinical outcomes in patients infected with HBV. Published 1 November 2006 in J Hepatol, 45(6): 805-12.
© 2006-2008 Hepatitis Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
| ||||||
