The association between hepatitis B mutants and hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis
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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Fangfang Wei1, Qiaolan Zheng, Maoyin Li
1Department of Infectious Disease, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital Journal Center Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Background:
More and more studies focus on the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) basal core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) mutations, but it remains controvercial, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the features of hepatitis B virus basal core promoter/precore mutations on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods:
A comprehensive search was conducted for articles published between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2015 using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Medical subject heading terms were prioritized in setting the search strategy. Search terms included ("hepatitis B virus"), ("mutation or mutations or mutant"), and ("hepatocellular carcinoma" or "liver cancer" or hepatoma). A meta-analysis of pooled results from case-control studies examined the association between mutations G1896A, A1762T, G1764A, and A1762T/G1764A and the risk of HCC.
Results:
We included 29 articles for analysis and found that G1896A (summary odds ratios [OR] = 2.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41-2.95), A1762T (summary OR = 3.96, 95% CI = 1.98-7.92), G1764A (summary OR = 3.48, 95% CI = 1.99-6.09), and A1762T/G1764A (summary OR = 3.96, 95% CI = 2.77-5.65) are each associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of HCC.
Conclusion:
In summary, we found that G1896A, A1762T, G1764A, and A1762T/G1764A are associated with an increased risk of HCC.

