CONSERVATION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS 5' UNTRANSLATED SEQUENCES IN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA AND THE SURROUNDING LIVER

Persistent infection by hepatitis C virus is a major risk factor for t he development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism of hepat ocarcinogenesis is unknown. To study the association of hepatitis C vi rus with hepatocellular carcinoma, we sequenced part of the 5' untrans lated region of hepatitis C virus from the tumor tissue and the surrou nding nontumorous liver of three patients with hepatocellular carcinom a. No sequence differences between tumor-derived and liver derived hep atitis C virus isolates were detected. The conservation of the 5' untr anslated region of hepatitis C virus - not only in infected hepatocyte s, but also in neoplastic cells - suggests that the regulatory element s at the 5' terminus of the viral genome play an important role in the pathobiology of hepatitis C virus.