Hepatitis B virus genotype in Iranian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV appears to be the most common cause of HCC in Iran. To date, no study has been carried out on the HBV genotype in Iranian HCC patients. This study was undertaken to determine the HBV genotype in Iranian patients with HCC. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 40 patients (31 males and nine females) with HBV-associated HCC were collected from different pathology centers during 2000-2007. Genotyping of HBV was performed by nested PCR-mediated amplification of the target sequence. PCR products were sequenced, and the genotype of each HBV sequence was determined by comparison with sequences of known genotypes in the GenBank. A phylogenetic tree was constructed. Results: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the HBV isolates were clustered in genotype D. Conclusions: Our results concur with other reports from Iran, all showing that genotype D is the only detectable genotype in the different clinical forms of HBV infection in this country. (C) 2008 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.