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Analysis of viral amino acids sequences and the IL28B SNP influencing the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C

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Abstract

Background and aims

The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) sequences with interleukin 28B (IL28B) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been well clarified.

Methods

Complete HCV open-reading frame sequences were determined in 20 patients developing HCC and 23 non-HCC patients with HCV-1b infection in two distant time points. An additional 230 patients were studied cross-sectionally for core and NS5A sequences with HCC development. Among them, 98 patients with available samples were investigated for changes in viral core sequences over time. Finally, IL28B SNPs and HCC development were investigated in 228 patients.

Results

During observation period (HCC for 10.8 years, and non-HCC for 11.1 years), changes in core a.a. 70 and three amino acid positions in NS5A were characteristics of the patients developing HCC. In 230 patients, Q (glutamine) or H (histidine) to R (arginine) ratio at core a.a. 70 was significantly higher in the HCC group (HCC group 43:22 vs. non-HCC group 66:99, p = 0.001). A change in core R70Q was observed over time in 11 patients associated with a decrease in platelets (p = 0.005) and albumin (p = 0.005), while a Q70R change was observed in 4 patients without associated changes in platelets (nonsignificant) and albumin (nonsignificant). IL28B SNP showed significant correlation with the core a.a. 70 residue. There was no evident link between IL28B SNPs and the occurrence of HCC.

Conclusions

Hepatitis C virus core a.a. 70 residue is associated with liver disease progression and is independent factor for HCC development in genotype-1b infection. IL28B SNPs are related to core a.a. 70 residue, but not to HCC. The functional relevance of core a.a. 70 residue in hepatitis C pathogenesis should be further investigated.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid scientific research fund of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture number 20390206 and in part by a Grant-in-Aid from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan (H19-kanen-002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110, Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan

    Mika Miura, Shinya Maekawa, Makoto Kadokura, Ryota Sueki, Kazuki Komase, Hiroko Shindo, Takako Ohmori, Asuka Kanayama, Kuniaki Shindo, Fumitake Amemiya, Yasuhiro Nakayama, Takatoshi Kitamura, Tomoyoshi Uetake, Taisuke Inoue, Minoru Sakamoto, Shunichi Okada & Nobuyuki Enomoto

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  1. Mika Miura
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  2. Shinya Maekawa
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  15. Minoru Sakamoto
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  16. Shunichi Okada
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  17. Nobuyuki Enomoto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shinya Maekawa.

Additional information

M. Miura and S. Maekawa have contributed equally to this study.

Electronic supplementary material

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12072_2011_9307_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Supplementary Fig. 1 Association between the core a.a. 70 residues and HCC development was studied (A) at the start of observation, (B) at the end of observation (TIFF 2028 kb)

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Miura, M., Maekawa, S., Kadokura, M. et al. Analysis of viral amino acids sequences and the IL28B SNP influencing the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatol Int 6, 386–396 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-011-9307-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-011-9307-6

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