COOH-terminal deletion of HBx gene is a frequent event in HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Sequences of HBx integrated with Homo sapiens chromosomal 17 nucleotide sequences in 8 HCC cases

Case No.	Homo sapiens chromosome 17, clone RP11-104H15 (PCR sequencing)			HBV gene
	A	B	C
2	chromosome 14	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(39-87)	(224-430)	(485-521)	(514-533)
3	56677-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-206)	(223-429)	(484-520)	(513-532)
4	56663-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-192)	(209-415)	(470-506)	(499-518)
5	56676-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-205)	(222-428)	(483-519)	(512-531)
8	56675-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(6-208)	(225-431)	(486-522)	(515-534)
13	56679-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-208)	(225-431)	(486-522)	(515-534)
15	56669-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-198)	(215-421)	(476-512)	(505-524)
16	56675-56472	56455-56249	56194-56158	1957-1976
	(1-204)	(221-427)	(482-518)	(511-530)

A, B and C represent 3 discontinuated sequences at 17p13 and integrated HBV gene sequences.

Table 2 Patterns of genomic integrated HBV DNA in HCC tissues by Southern blot

Gene probes	n	Tumor					Non-tumor liver tissues
		I	R	I + R	Total	%	I	R	I + R	Total	%
HBV-DNA	44	16	0	9	25	56.8	10	5	8	23	52.3
(EcoR I restriction)
HBV-DNA	44	18	0	7	25	56.8	13	6	4	23	52.3
(Hind III restriction)
HBx-DNA	44	13	0	7	20	45.0	8	4	6	18	40.9
(EcoR I restriction)
HBc-DNA	44	16	0	6	22	50.0	9	5	5	19	43.2
(EcoR I restriction)
Pre-S	44	16	0	9	25	56.8	10	5	7	22	50.0
(EcoR I restriction)

I: Integrated pattern; R: Replicated pattern, I + R: Integrated coexistence with replicated (mixed pattern).

Table 3 Deleted mutation of HBc and HBx in HCC by PCR, n (%)

Item	n	Tumor			Non-tumor
		Positive	Wild type	Mutant type	Positive	Wild type	Mutant type
HBc	45	38 (84.4)	28 (73.7)	10 (26.3)	38 (84.4)	31 (81.6)	7 (18.4)
HBc + HBx	45	32 (71.1)	8 (25.0)b	24 (75.00)b	31 (68.9)	9 (29.0)b	22 (71.0)b

^bP < 0.01.