Mutations in HBV- S gene and overlapping RT region inassociation to hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Aim : Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is a major healthproblem and leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Among the viral riskfactors of HCC, variations within HBsAg coding region has been recently considered with HCC.Mutations in RT are dominant treatment responsive factor that is associated to replication rate andliver disease progress. So, we aimed to investigate the mutation profile of s and RT gene of HBVin the liver tissue of patients with HCC from Iran.Methods : Method: This was a cross-sectional work performed from ۰۲/۲۰۱۸ to ۰۳/۲۰۲۰, amongIranian patients with HCC, liver cirrhosis and normal liver (LC). Preserved FFPE samples andfresh Needle biopsies were collected from liver tissues with HCC. Tissue samples were subjectedfor DNA extraction, next PCR test was performed to amplify HBV S gene. Mutations weredetected by direct Sanger sequencing.Results : Results: In overall there were ۷۹ samples positive for HBsAg, among which ۶۸ caseswere positive for HBV-DNA including HCC (n: ۳۹), LC (n: ۱۸) and normal (n: ۱۱). The meanintrahepatic viral load was ۹×۱۰۵ ± ۶×۱۰۶ copies/μl, and the HBV genotype was D among the allsamples. In S gene Q۳۰E, P۱۲۰S, Q۱۲۹H, T۱۲۶I/S, D۱۴۴E, V۱۹۰F, W۲۰۱L and P۲۰۳L werepredominant mutation. The observance of P۱۲۰S and D۱۴۴E were significantly associated withHCC. In RT region G۲۶R, P۳۴L/S, A۳۸G, V۱۴۲L, R۱۵۲G/W and C۱۹۸F were prominentmutations. Among mutations of RT, V۱۴۲L and R۱۵۲G/W were seen mostly in HCC group thatwere associated with higher viral load.Conclusion : Conclusion: We detected ۲۳% amino acid changes in S region. Two mutation atamino acid ۱۲۰ and ۱۴۴ on S gene were associated with HCC. Further investigations arerecommended to further clarify the relationship and interaction between mutations in HBVgenome and HCC progression.

کلیدواژه ها:

HBV ، S gene ، HBsAg ، RT ، mutation ، HCC ، liver cirrhosis ، Iran