TITLE:
Impact of the Hepatitis B Virus pRE-S2 Mutant on p53 and PLK1 Biomarkers Expression in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Brazzaville
AUTHORS:
Luc Magloire Anicet Boumba, Clausina Ahoui Mikolele, Dimitri Moudiongui Mboungou Malanda, Ghislain Lobano-Voumbi, Bredin Bissila, Josué Lukera Chimaëlle Biziki Batsimba, Paola Candyse Tsimba, Blaise Irenée Atipo Ibara, Donatien Moukassa
KEYWORDS:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Hepatitis B Virus, pRE-S2 Mutant, p53 and PLK1 Biomarkers, Congo
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.15 No.4,
November
6,
2025
ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and a major public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important etiological factor, and its mutants, particularly pRE-S2, are associated with an increased risk of HCC. To evaluate the impact of the HBV pRE-S2 mutant on the expression of p53 and PLK1 biomarkers in patients with HCC in Brazzaville. A case-control analytical study was conducted between July and December 2024, i.e., 6 months, including 82 participants divided into two groups: 22 patients with HBV-related HCC (cases) and 60 controls, including 30 controls infected with HBV without HCC (sick controls) and 30 healthy control subjects. Serum expression of pRE-S2, p53, and PLK1 was analyzed by ELISA. Data were processed by GraphPad Prism with a significance threshold of p