C1673T, A1726C, A1727T, C1730G, C1766T, T1768A, C1773T, and C1799G in genotype C are specific for cirrhosis. A1846T and T1674C/G are novel factors independently associated with cirrhosis and HCC, respectively.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) mutations and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation are closely associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of STAT3 have not been implicated in HCC susceptibility. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of STAT3 SNPs and their interactions with HBV mutations on HCC risk. A total of 2,011 HBV-infected subjects (including 1,021 HCC patients) and 1,012 healthy controls were involved in this study. SNPs rs4796793 (21697, C>G), rs2293152 (intron 11, C>G), and rs1053004 (3 0 untranslated region, T>C) were genotyped using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. HBV mutations were determined via direct sequencing. It was found that rs2293152 (GG versus CC) was significantly associated with HCC risk compared with the subjects without HCC, adjusting for age and sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.62). The impact of rs2293152 was greater in women compared with men. Compared with HCC-free HBV-infected subjects, rs2293152 GG was solely associated with HCC in women (AOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.15-3.61). rs2293152 GG was significantly associated with high viral load (!1 3 10 4 copies/mL) (AOR, 1.37; 95%, CI 1.01-1.88) and increased frequencies of T1674C/G (AOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.06-2.46) and A1762T/ G1764A (AOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.14-2.35). In multivariate regression analyses, multiplicative interaction of rs1053004 with T1674C/G significantly increased HCC risk, whereas rs2293152 and A1726C interaction reduced it, adjusting for covariates including HBV mutations in the enhancer II/basal core promoter/precore region; the interaction of rs4796793 with preS2 start codon mutation significantly increased HCC risk, adjusting for covariates including HBV mutations in the preS region. Conclusion: STAT3 SNPs appear to predispose the host with HBV mutations to hepatocarcinogenesis, and this effect may differ in men versus women. STAT3 SNPs may have applicability in future HCC surveillance algorithms. (HEPATOLOGY 2013; 57:2369-2377 L iver cancer in males is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death; in females, it is the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide.1 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 70% to 85% of the total liver cancer burden.1 The highest HCC incidence rates are found in East and Southeast Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa. The rate is three-fold higher in males than in females. Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV), aflatoxin B1 exposure, alcohol drinking,

C2964A, C3116T, and C7A are novel markers independently associated with an increased risk of HCC, while A2964C and T3116C are novel markers independently associated with an increased risk of cirrhosis. Combined preS1 mutations are specific for HCC.

BackgroundGenetic polymorphisms of pri-miR-34b/c and pre-miR-196a2 have been reported to be associated with the susceptibility to cancers. However, the effect of these polymorphisms and their interactions with hepatitis B virus (HBV) mutations on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that these polymorphisms might interact with the HBV mutations and play a role in hepatocarcinogenesis.Methods Pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 (T>C) and pre-miR-196a2 rs11614913 (T>C) were genotyped in 3,325 subjects including 1,021 HBV-HCC patients using quantitative PCR. HBV mutations were determined by direct sequencing. Contributions of the polymorphisms and their multiplicative interactions with gender or HCC-related HBV mutations to HCC risk were assessed using multivariate regression analyses.Resultsrs4938723 CC genotype was significantly associated with HCC risk compared to HBV natural clearance subjects, adjusted for age and gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–3.49). rs4938723 variant genotypes in dominant model significantly increased HCC risk in women, compared to female healthy controls (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.20–2.84) or female HCC-free subjects (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.14–2.31). rs4938723 CC genotype and rs11614913 TC genotype were significantly associated with increased frequencies of the HCC-related HBV mutations T1674C/G and G1896A, respectively. rs11614913 was not significantly associated with HCC risk, but its CC genotype significantly enhanced the effect of rs4938723 in women. In multivariate regression analyses, rs4938723 in dominant model increased HCC risk (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.05–2.49), whereas its multiplicative interaction with C1730G, a HBV mutation inversely associated with HCC risk, reduced HCC risk (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.15–0.81); rs11614913 strengthened the G1896A effect but attenuated the A3120G/T effect on HCC risk.Conclusionsrs4938723 might be a genetic risk factor of HCC but its effect on HCC is significantly affected by the HBV mutations. rs11614913 might not be a HCC susceptible factor but it might affect the effects of the HBV mutations or rs4938723 on HCC risk.

BackgroundRapid identification and differentiation of mosquito-transmitted flaviviruses in acute-phase sera of patients and field-caught vector mosquitoes are important for the prediction and prevention of large-scale epidemics.ResultsWe developed a flexible reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) unit for the detection and differentiation of dengue virus serotypes 1-4 (DENV1-4), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and West Nile virus (WNV). The unit efficiently amplified the viral genomes specifically at wide ranges of viral template concentrations, and exhibited similar amplification curves as monitored by a real-time PCR engine. The detection limits of the RT-LAMP unit were 100-fold higher than that of RT-PCR in 5 of the six flaviviruses. The results on specificity indicated that the six viruses in the assay had no cross-reactions with each other. By examining 66 viral strains of DENV1-4 and JEV, the unit identified the viruses with 100% accuracy and did not cross-react with influenza viruses and hantaviruses. By screening a panel of specimens containing sera of 168 patients and 279 pools of field-caught blood sucked mosquitoes, results showed that this unit is high feasible in clinical settings and epidemiologic field, and it obtained results 100% correlated with real-time RT-PCR.ConclusionsThe RT-LAMP unit developed in this study is able to quickly detect and accurately differentiate the six kinds of flaviviruses, which makes it extremely feasible for screening these viruses in acute-phase sera of the patients and in vector mosquitoes without the need of high-precision instruments.