Hepatitis B virus genotypes in Alaska Native people with hepatocellular carcinoma: preponderance of genotype F.

BACKGROUND The development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been associated with specific HBV genotypes and the presence of specific mutations. METHODS From a cohort of Alaska Native people with chronic HBV infection, we genotyped 47 patients with HCC and 1129 patients without HCC, and we tested patients with HCC and control patients for mutations in the basal core promoter and precore regions. RESULTS Genotype F was found in 68% of patients with HCC, versus 18% of those without HCC (P<.001). For patients with genotype F, the median age at diagnosis of HCC was lower than that for patients with other genotypes (22.5 vs. 60 years, respectively; P=.002). Overall, there were no significant differences in the number of basal core promoter and precore region mutations between patients with HCC and control patients. CONCLUSIONS We found a significant association between genotype F and the development of HCC among Alaska Native people with chronic HBV infection but no significant association between HCC and basal core promoter or precore mutations in genotype F.