Molecular Signature of Hepatitis D Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To investigate the role of viral and host factors in HDV-related HCC we analyzed the serum, tissue specimens and laser microdissected hepatocytes obtained at the time of liver transplantation from five patients with HDV-HCC. Livers of seven patients with HDV-cirrhosis without HCC were also analyzed. We carried out an integrated clinicopathological analysis and gene expression profiling, Multiple liver specimens and serum were obtained from 5 male patients, aged 57.2 ± 7.8 years (mean ± SD) who underwent liver transplantation for HDV-associated HCC, and 7 patients, aged of 55.8 ± 2.1 years, with HDV non-HCC cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease. The study also included data of 11 male patients with HBV-associated HCC, aged 59.6 ± 8.0 years, that were the object of a recent investigation (Melis et al., 2014. J Transl Med, 12, 230. doi: 10.1186/s12967-014-0230-1; GSE accession no.55092).