Table 1.

Liver Histology and Pre-S Mutants Isolated from Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM)-Harvested Liver Samples in Six HBsAg-Seropositive and Two Seronegative Cases with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Case no.	Liver histology	Serum HBsAg	Types of GGHs	No. of samples	No. of clones	Types of pre-S deletion mutants
1	CAH	−	ND	3	0
2	Cirrhosis	−	ND	3	0
3	Early cirrhosis	+	N	3	1	WT
						I	3	4	Δ3040∼3111 (x2), Δ3041∼3097, WT
						II	2	3	Δ3218∼53, Δ4∼57, WT
4	Early cirrhosis	+	N	5	2	WT
						I	1	2	Δ3040∼3111, WT
						II	2	3	Δ4∼57(x2), WT
5	Cirrhosis	+	N	4	2	WT
						I	3	4	Δ3040∼3111 (x2), Δ2950∼3090, WT
						II	2	3	Δ2∼55 (x2), WT
6	Cirrhosis	+	N	5	2	WT
						I	2	2	Δ3040∼3111, WT
						II	3	4	Δ2∼55(x2), Δ3∼56, WT
7	CAH	+	N	4	2	WT
						I	2	1	Δ3040∼3111, WT
8	Early cirrhosis	+	N	3	1	WT

The samples were taken from nontumorous parts of the liver specimens. The numbers and types of pre-S clones identified were shown.

CAH, chronic active hepatitis; ND, not detectable; GGH, ground glass hepatocyte; N, negative for GGH, I, type I GGH; II, type II GGH; WT, wild-type pre-S gene.