title: Association of epidermal growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor polymorphisms with the risk of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in the population of North China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common solid malignant tumor occurring worldwide that leads to the third largest cause of death compared to other cancers. Genetic and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can stimulate the proliferation of epidermal and epithelial cells. The EGF signal pathway has a relationship with the growth of the embryo, tissue repairing, and tumorigenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 416 patients with hepatitis B virus infection (HBV)-related HCC and 645 individuals who had never been infected with HBV of the Chinese Han population were enrolled. Eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), whose minor allele frequency >20% in the EGF and EGFR genes, were genotyped to examine their associations with hepatocarcinogenesis. Genotyping experiments were carried out using TaqMan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in genotype distributions (p=0.005) and allele frequencies (p=0.001, odds ratio [OR]=1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.15-1.79) of rs11569017 in the EGF gene between the HCC and control groups. After binary logistic regression to determine independent factors for susceptibility to HCC under an additive model, rs11569017 was still independently associated with the susceptibility to HCC (p=0.021, OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.06-2.07), but no significant differences in other SNPs were found. Additionally, the haplotype T-G constructed by rs11569017 and rs4444903 of the EGF gene might increase the risk of HBV-related HCC (p=0.002, OR=1.44, 95% CI=1.15-1.82).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rs11569017 T allele was associated with susceptibility to HBV-related HCC.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Aiqiang
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaopan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xilin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors