The association between hepatitis B mutants and hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis

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.