Table 3.

Percentage of children with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)* who had HBV core gene mutations

Codon	HCC (n=12) (% (n))	Chronic HBV infection (n=23) (% (n))	Mutation	p Value†
Precore 28	58% (7)	52.2% (12)	W→X	0.73
Core 21	8% (1)	21.7% (5)	S→P or A	0.32
Core 65	33% (4)	17.3% (4)	L→W or V	0.29
Core 74	33% (4)	0	S→G	0.0032
Core 87	33% (4)	0	S→G	0.0032
Core 131	8% (1)	0	A→D	0.16
Core 143	33% (4)	4.3% (1)	L→P	0.015
Core 147	8% (1)	21.6% (5)	T→C or S	0.32
Core 159	42% (5)	0	R→S	0.0006
Core 182	42% (5)	4.3% (1)	Q→X	0.0035

W, tryptophan; X, stop codon; S, serine; P, proline; L, leucine; V, valine; G, glycine; A, alanine; D, aspartic acid; T, threonine; C, cysteine; R, arginine; Q, glutamine.

*From the 23 latest serum sample (after HBeAg seroconversion).