Genome-wide copy number variation analysis of hepatitis B infection in a Japanese population

Abstract

Hepatitis B: Gene copy numbers associated with risk of infection The risk of contracting the hepatitis B virus may be linked to the number of copies of certain genes in an individual’s genome. A Japanese team led by Masataka Kikuchi, Osaka University, and Akihiro Nakaya, University of Tokyo, looked for repeated segments of the genome, known as copy number variants (CNVs), that differed between people with hepatitis B infections and those without. Studying around 3000 individuals of Japanese descent, the researchers identified several rare CNVs associated with immune function in hepatitis-affected individuals. They also found a common CNV in a gene called CNTN6 that the hepatitis B virus often uses to integrate itself into the genome of liver cells, a process that can lead to cancer. The findings underscore the importance of CNVs as inherited risk factors for hepatitis B and other viral infections.