Association between HLA-DQ Gene Polymorphisms and HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Host gene variants may influence hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related HCC. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) play an important role in presenting virus antigens to immune cells that are responsible for the clearance of virus-infected cells and tumor cells. Previous studies have investigated the HLA-DQ (rs2856718 and rs9275572) polymorphisms that may be associated with the development of HBV-related HCC. However, the results are controversial or inconclusive. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation of the associations. A total of 6 articles were used to evaluate the effect of the two polymorphisms on the risk of HBV-related HCC. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. We found that rs2856718 and rs9275572 in HLA-DQ significantly decreased HBV-related HCC in total population, especially in Chinese, but not in Saudi Arabian. Further validation of our results in larger populations and different ethnicities are required.