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Different hepatitis B virus core gene mutations in children with chronic infection and hepatocellular carcinoma

Y-H Ni1, M-H Chang, H-Y Hsu

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Gut
|December 13, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core gene mutations accumulate in children with chronic infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC patients exhibit distinct mutation patterns, suggesting a role in pediatric liver cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Pediatric Oncology

Background:

  • The role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) precore/core antigen mutations in persistent infection and liver disease remains debated.
  • Understanding HBV mutations is crucial for managing chronic infections and preventing liver cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze HBV core gene sequence changes in children with chronic HBV infection.
  • To investigate the association between these mutations and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 31 children with chronic HBV infection and documented hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion.
  • Analyzed HBV core gene sequences from serum samples of chronic HBV patients and 12 children with HBV-related HCC.
  • Compared mutation profiles before and after seroconversion in chronic cases.

Main Results:

  • Mutations frequently occurred at core gene codons 21, 147, 65, and precore stop codon 28 in chronic HBV patients.
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma patients showed distinct mutations at core codons 74, 87, and 159.
  • Significantly more mutations were observed in the core gene of HCC patients compared to chronic HBV-infected children (p=0.013).

Conclusions:

  • HBV core region mutation accumulation differs between pediatric HCC patients and those with chronic HBV infection.
  • These distinct mutation patterns may offer insights into the pathogenesis of pediatric hepatocellular carcinoma.
Abstract

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