title: No association of EGF 5'UTR variant A61G and hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has many biological functions, including mitogenesis, tumorigenesis, and proliferation of epidermal tissues. Previous studies have reported that the EGF +61 (A/G) single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5'-untranslated region of the EGF gene is functional, and is associated with development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver cirrhosis and various malignancy. Our aim was to investigate whether EGF gene A61G polymorphism could be implicated in susceptibility to and/or clinicopathological characteristics of HCC in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  This polymorphism was studied in 387 patients with chronic HBV infection and in 208 healthy volunteers using restriction fragment-length polymorphism. The patients were divided into two groups: those without (n = 172) and those with HCC (n = 215). These 215 HCC patients with chronic HBV infection were designated as cases, and the remaining 172 patients without HCC served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in EGF genotype or allelic frequencies between cases and controls nor was EGF genotype or allelic frequencies associated with tumour number, size, growth phase, stage, and invasiveness. We also found ethnic heterogeneity in the functional EGF polymorphism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results show that although EGF gene A61G polymorphism is associated with development of HCC in liver cirrhosis, it is not sufficient for HCC in Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai. PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yue-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary / Q000821:virology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor