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Hepatitis Monthly 2006
Molecular Aspects of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Caused by Hepatitis C VirusKeywords: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) , Hepatocellular Carcinoma , Genomic and Proteomics Abstract: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, enveloped, single-stranded positive sense RNA virus with a diameter of about 50 nm belonging to the Hepacivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae. The HCV genome is translated to produce a single protein of around 3011 amino acids. This "polyprotein" is then proteolytically processed by viral and cellular proteases to produce structural (core protein, envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2, ARFP/F protein, p7) and nonstructural (NS2-3 autoprotease, NS3-4A, NS4B, NS5A, NS5B) proteins. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide, with increasing incidence. It is estimated that approximately 300-400 thousands of people in the IRAN and 4 million in the United States are persistently infected. It is important for tumor control to identify the factors that predispose patients to death. A large number of molecular factors have been shown to associate with the invasiveness of HCC, and have potential prognostic significance.
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