title: An intronic variant in the GRP78, a stress-associated gene, improves prediction for liver cirrhosis in persistent HBV carriers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous study indicated that a common variant (rs430397 G>A) in the intron 5 of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) gene was associated with risk and prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including HBV- and cirrhosis-related HCC. rs430397 polymorphism may be a contributing factor or biomarker of HBV infection or HBV-related cirrhosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  539 non-HBV-infected individuals, 205 self-limited infection and 496 persistent HBV infection were recruited between January 2001 and April 2005 from the hospitals in Southern China. Genomic DNA was genotyped for rs430397. The associations between the variation and susceptibility to liver cirrhosis (LC) in persistent HBV infection were examined. We observed that individuals carrying allele rs430397A were more likely to become HBV-related LC. When persistently infected patients were divided into four subgroups, patients with phase IV had an increased allele A and genotype AG compared with phase I and/or phase III. Decreased serum albumin and prolonged plasma prothrombin time (PT) were showed in LC patients carrying genotype AA. Furthermore, rs430397 genotype had an increased susceptibility to LC with dose-dependent manners (P-trend = 0.005), and the genotype did constitute a risk factor for the development of advanced LC (Child-Pugh classification C and B, P-trend = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  rs430397 polymorphism may be a contributing factor to LC in persistent HBV carriers.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Institute, Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. bioxzhu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lianzhou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Marie C M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Linwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hsiangfu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Dongpei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins