Conservation of hepatitis C virus 5' untranslated sequences in hepatocellular carcinoma and the surrounding liver.
Persistent infection by hepatitis C virus is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis is unknown. To study the association of hepatitis C virus with hepatocellular carcinoma, we sequenced part of the 5' untranslated region of hepatitis C virus from the tumor tissue and the surrounding nontumorous liver of three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. No sequence differences between tumor-derived and liver-derived hepatitis C virus isolates were detected. The conservation of the 5' untranslated region of hepatitis C virus--not only in infected hepatocytes, but also in neoplastic cells--suggests that the regulatory elements at the 5' terminus of the viral genome play an important role in the pathobiology of hepatitis C virus.
Sullivan
D E
DE
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
Gerber
M A
MA
D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D015335:Molecular Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral