Association Analysis of SERPINB5 Polymorphisms with HBV Clearance and HCC Occurrence in a Korean Population

ABSTRACT

Serpin peptidase inhibitor, Clade B (ovalbumin), Member 5 (SERPINB5), also known as maspin, is a potent tumor suppressor gene. It has correlations with many tumor cells, from pancreas cancer to breast cancer, so it is possible that it may also affect liver cancer. There has also been a report that SERPINB12, a gene placed right next to SERPINB5, is expressed in liver. For this study, 32 polymorphisms were identified in SERPINB5 by direct DNA sequencing, and 11 of them were selected to be tested with a larger scale subjects. The association of the 11 SERPINB5 polymorphisms with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) clearance, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence and the onset age of HCC were analyzed. There were no significant associations found between 11 SERPINB5 polymorphisms and HBV clearance. In the case of HCC occurrence, one of the haplotypes (ht) showed association with HCC occurrence (OR=2.26, p=0.005, P(Cor)=0.05), albeit with a low statistical power (40.8%) and haplotype frequency (0.052). Further study with a bigger sample size will be needed to clearly verify the association between ht5 and HCC occurrence.