Clinical study on the relationships between HBV genotype and HBV basic core promoter mutants in HCC patients

Objective:To investigate the relationships between hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype and HBV core promoter mutants, and in order to explore the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:Serum samples from 40 patients with hepatoma and 40 patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB) were collected and tested for HBV genotypes by the multiplex type-specific primers, Signal-base mutations of G1896A. A1762T and G1764A were analyzed by gene chips technique.Results:There were 30 cases in the 40 HCC patients whose HBV DNA quantification were positive, the average levels of the HBV DNA quantification were (6.53±1.31) copy/ml(Logarithm).The HBV genotypes and HBV mutants were tested for the 30 HCC and 40 CHB patients, the results showed that in the 30 HCC cases, 5(16.7%) were genotype B, 25 (83.3%) were genotype C; Twenty of the 30 HCC patients were found to have mutants in HBV BCP region at nucleotide A1762T/G1764A,among which 1 case were detected with genotype B and 19 cases with genotype C (20% VS 76%,P0.05).In the 40 CHB patients, the percentagens of genotype B and C were 80%,20% respectively,13 of 40 CHB patients were found to have mutants in BCP region, among which 8 cases were genotype B and 5 cases with genotype C.Conclusion:The genotype C is the predominant genotype in HBV related HCC, and there are a clear link between HBV genotype and HBV BCP mutants at nucleotide A1762T/G1764A in hepatoma.