Association between HLA-G 14-bp Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Korean Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Viral Infection

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether the major HLA-G gene was associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Abnormal HLA-G expression is present in various diseases, such as renal cell carcinoma, asthma and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. Methodology: To investigate the possible association with susceptibility to HCC, 181 chronic hepatitis patients and 180 HCC patients were enrolled in this study. The HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism is located in the 3' untranslated region of the HLA-G gene and was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. For analysis of genetic data, SNPStats and SPSS 18.0 were used. Logistic regression models were performed to determine the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p value. Results: Allele and genotype frequencies of the HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the hepatitis group had a similar pattern, as compared to those in the HCC group. Furthermore, no differences were observed between patients with and without liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: These results suggest that the HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism may not be associated with HCC susceptibility and liver cirrhosis development in the Korean population.