Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes in Alaska Native People with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Preponderance of Genotype F

BackgroundThe development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been associated with specific HBV genotypes and the presence of specific mutations MethodsFrom a cohort of Alaska Native people with chronic HBV infection, we genotyped 47 patients with HCC and 1129 patients without HCC, and we tested patients with HCC and control patients for mutations in the basal core promoter and precore regions ResultsGenotype F was found in 68% of patients with HCC, versus 18% of those without HCC (P