KIR and HLA Genes Linked to Liver Cancer in Hepatitis B Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Pan Ning, Jiang Wei, Sun Hang, Miao Fengqin, Qiu Jie, Jin Hui, Xu Jinhuan, Shi Qian, Xie Wei, Zhang Jianqiong
Primary Institution: Southeast University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
Hypothesis
Do KIR and HLA genes influence the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection?
Conclusion
The study found significant associations between certain KIR and HLA genes and the incidence of HCC in HBV-infected patients, suggesting that NK cell activation may contribute to HCC development.
Supporting Evidence
- HLA-C1C1 genotype was associated with HCC incidence (p=0.005, OR=2.02).
- HLA-Bw4-80I increased the risk of HCC development (p=0.0002, OR=2.67).
- The combination of KIR2DS4 and 1D was linked to disease progression towards HCC (p=0.017, OR=1.89).
- More risk factors correlated with higher odds ratios for HCC incidence (P trend=7.4E-05).
Takeaway
This study shows that some genes can make people with hepatitis B more likely to get liver cancer, and it helps doctors understand how to prevent it better.
Methodology
A case-control study involving 333 HBV-infected patients, genotyping KIR and HLA loci to assess their association with HCC.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and strict matching criteria.
Limitations
The study did not analyze KIR allele polymorphisms and lacked information on HBV genotypes.
Participant Demographics
Patients were aged 20 to 65, all members of the Han population, and matched for age and gender.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.005 for HLA-C1C1 association with HCC
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.14–3.20 for KIR2DS4/1D
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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