Abstract:

Objective To investigate the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphism in the grown hormone receptor （GHR） gene and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） in pedigrees with liver cancer in Fusui County，Guangxi. Methods A total of 25 families showing high incidence of liver cancer （106 cases） served as a case group，while 17 healthy families （80 people） served as controls. The GHR gene was genotyped at the locus rs6451620，and allele frequency distribution was determined using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Logistic regression was used to explore possible relationships between polymorphism at this locus and genetic susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. Results Two alleles A and G and three genotypes AA，GA and GG were identified at the locus rs6451620. Genotype frequency was in accordance with genetic balance and was representative of the Zhuang population in Guangxi. Allele frequency at rs6451620 was 36% for A and 64% for G among HCC patients；the corresponding frequencies among controls were 29.4% and 70.6%. Risk of HCC was 0.81 times higher among individuals with the A allele at rs6451620 than among individuals with the G allele （95%CI：0.27-2.41，P=0.699）. Relative to the normal control group，risk of liver cancer was1.49 times higher among cases with an A allele than among those with a G allele （95% CI：0.73-3.04，P=0.274）. Conclusions Polymorphism at locus rs6451620 in the GHR gene is no associated with risk of HCC in Fusui county，Guangxi.

Key words: Liver neoplasms, Grown hormone receptor, Single nucleotide polymorphism, Genetic predisposition