RECK gene polymorphisms in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A case-control study

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The RECK gene is a critical tumor suppressor gene. This study aimed to assess the association between RECK gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the development of HCC in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis B.

In this case-control study, we enrolled patients with CHB from the Gastroenterology Department, Benha University, from June 2016 to February 2018. The RECK gene SNP rs10814325 was identified using real-time PCR allelic discrimination via TaqMan SNP genotyping assays (Applied Biosystems, USA).

We enrolled 140 participants in this study. The participants were divided into Group I, which comprised 50 participants with CHB only, Group II, which comprised 50 participants with CHB and HCC, and Group III, which comprised 40 healthy participants. A significantly higher hepatitis B virus DNA viremia level was found in patients with HCC. The predominant RECK genotype was the T/T allele, followed by the T/C allele; however, no significant difference in the distribution of RECK gene SNPs was found between the study groups. No statistically significant difference in RECK gene SNPs was reported among patients with HCC of different Child classes or based on the number, site, size of HCC, and lymph node involvement. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a serum alpha-fetoprotein level of 92 ng/ml was 96 % sensitive and 100 % specific for the detection of HCC, with an area under the operating characteristic curve of 0.98.

RECK gene SNPs have no significant association with the development and characteristics of hepatitis B-related HCC in Egyptian patients.