title: Shortened telomere length in hepatocellular carcinomas and corresponding background liver tissues of patients infected with hepatitis virus.
abstract: The telomere length in 20 surgically resected human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and adjacent non-cancerous livers with hepatitis virus infection were investigated. All the HCC samples examined demonstrated shorter telomere length than the corresponding non-cancerous liver tissues, the respective average values being 5.4 kbp and 8.8 kbp (P < 0.001). The shortening of telomere length was most prominent in HCCs larger than 30 mm in diameter, and in both tumors and non-cancerous livers it was more marked with hepatitis B virus as compared with hepatitis C virus infection. These results indicate that telomere shortening is associated with not only progression, but also development of HCC, and there is a possible difference in the nature of the association in patients with hepatitis viruses of B and C types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological Pathology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobitsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujiuchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konishi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016615:Telomere / Q000473:pathology*