title: Association of mannose-binding lectin-2 gene polymorphism with the development of hepatitis C-induced hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Development of end-stage liver and graft disease is suspected to be partially determined by the individual genetic background. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important immunomodulatory factor, which is supposed to be involved in complement activation and oncogenesis. Genetic polymorphisms of MBL-2 alter MBL functionality. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of MBL-2 polymorphism (rs7096206) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on histological analysis of explanted livers in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy-seven patients, who underwent LT for HCV-induced liver disease, were genotyped for MBL-2 by TaqMan genotyping assay. Sixty-two patients with histologically confirmed HCC were compared with 115 patients without HCC. MBL-2 genotypes were corelated with the growth patern, tumour size and pretransplant α-fetoprotein (AFP) level of HCC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of GG/GC genotypes was significantly higher among HCC patients compared with tumour-free explanted livers (P = 0.004; odds ratio 2.5; 1.3-4.8). GG/GC genotype group was significantly associated with the size of HCC (P = 0.022), higher pretransplant AFP level (P = 0.010) and bilobar tumour growth (P = 0.038). Furthermore, CC genotype was found to be significantly more frequent in AFP-negative HCCs (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mannose-binding lectin-2 polymorphism seems to be involved in the development of pretransplant HCV-induced HCC and should be further investigated as potential risk factor for HCV-associated carcinogenesis.
authors: General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. dennis.eurich@charite.de
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Eurich
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Boas-Knoop
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Morawietz
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Neuhaus
authors: Rajan
authors: R
authors: Somasundaram
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Ruehl
authors: Ulf P
authors: UP
authors: Neumann
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Neuhaus
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Bahra
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Seehofer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C445619:MBL2 protein, human; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins