Difference in hTERT gene expressions between HbsAg-positive and HbsAg-negative hepatocellular carcinoma

To investigate the difference in expression of hTERT gene between HbsAg-positive human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HbsAg-negative HCC and to explore the relationship between HBV infection and hTERT gene expression in HCC. The expression of hTERT protein in 30 cases of HbsAg positive HCC and 17 cases of HbsAg negative HCC was detected by immunohistochemistry (SP method), and the expression of hTERT mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). t-test, Chi-squared test and cochran- armitage trend test were used to see whether there was an interrelation between HBsAg and hTERT gene in HCC. The expression of hTERT protein was mostly located in plasm and occasionally in the nucleus of liver cancer cells. The positive rate of hTERT protein and hTERT mRNA in HbsAg positive HCC- 93.33% (28/30) and 83.33% (25/30) respectively which were much higher than those in HbsAg negative HCC- 52.94% (9/17), 47.06% (8/17) (P<0.01) respectively. HbsAg is related to hTERT gene expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma. The hTERT gene activated by the efficacious ingredient of HBV may play an important role in hepatocellular transformation and carcinogenesis.