title: Sex-related differences in DNA copy number alterations in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Males have a higher prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than females in general, but the reasons for the sex disparity are still obscure. DNA copy number alteration (CNA) is a major feature of solid tumors including HCC, but whether CNA plays a role in sex-related differences in HCC development has never been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  High-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to examine 17 female and 46 male HCC patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Shanghai, China. Two-tailed Fisher's exact or chi2 tests was used to compare CNAs between females and males.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall frequencies and patterns of CNAs in female and male cases were similar. However, female HCC tumors presented more copy number gains compared to those in males on 1q21.3-q22 (76.5% vs. 37.0%, P = 0.009), 11q11 (35.3% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.0002) and 19q13.31-q13.32 (23.5% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.004), and loss on 16p11.2 (35.3% vs. 6.5%, P = 0.009). Relative to females, male cases had greater copy number loss on 11q11 (63.0% vs. 17.6%, P = 0.002). Further analyses showed that 11q11 gain correlated with 19q13.31-q13.32 gain (P = 0.042), 11q11 loss (P = 0.011) and 16p11.2 loss (P = 0.033), while 1q21.3-q22 gain correlated with 19q13.31-q13.32 gain (P = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that CNAs may play a role in sex-related differences in HBV-associated HCC development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, No. 113 Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Ningbo, China. zzzhu1170@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zhong-Zheng
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bing-Ji
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shu-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ai-Zhong
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guanshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002681:China; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral