ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether CD44 polymorphisms were correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to reveal a new potential target for early prediction, prevention, and diagnosis of HCC. METHOD: This study involved 96 cases with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 96 cases with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis (LC), 204 cases with HCC related to the hepatitis B virus, and 210 healthy controls. The genotype of rs8193 was determined using the restriction fragment length polymorphism method, while the genotypes of rs10836347 and rs13347 were determined by direct sequencing. RESULTS: The results showed that patients with the CD44 rs13347 TT and T allele polymorphisms exhibited higher risks of LC than those carrying the CC genotype and C allele. The CD44 rs13347 CT and TT genotypes and T allele were significantly associated with an increased risk of HCC after adjusting for gender, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption (for CT: odds ratio [OR] = 1.626, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.057-2.500, P = .027; for TT: OR = 1.965, 95% CI = 1.043-3.702, P = .037; and for T: OR = 1.461, 95% CI = 1.091-1.956, P = .011). In the rs13347 site of the female population, the CT and TT genotypes were related to the high occurrence of HCC. In the population aged ≥50 years, carriers of the CD44 rs13347 CT and TT alleles were more susceptible to HCC compared with CC carriers. Those who consumed alcohol who carried the rs10836347 CT genotype exhibited a risk factor for HCC. CONCLUSION: For the CD44 rs13347 site, mutations in the T allele might be a risk factor for HCC.