Significant SNPs Related to Telomere Length and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Chronic Hepatitis B Carriers

Abstract

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection increases the risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma<br />(HCC) with suspected interactions between virus replication and host immune responses. A number of reports have<br />suggested that telomerase function may be involved in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) pathogenesis, but positive or negative<br />associations with HCC risk remain for discussion. Mean telomere length is an indicator of biological aging and it has<br />been reported that reduction in NBV carriers compared to normal individuals. In somatic cells, telomeres contain<br />simple, tandemly repeated G-rich sequences that frequently are reduced by 50 to 200 base pairs at each cell division.<br />Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in diverse ethnic populations have revealed eleven single nucleotide<br />polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to telomere length. Two of these, rs398652 and rs621559, have prognostic value and could<br />be used as genetic markers. This review describes current knowledge concerning telomerase activity and telomere length<br />as well as significant polymorphisms in HBV-related HCC patients. In particular, to cast light on genotype-phenotype<br />interactions, we used SNPnexus to evaluate effects of the two SNPs on risk of disease and complex disorders.