Intrahepatic HCV RNA level and genotype 1 independently associate with hepatic reticulon 3 expression

Background /Aim: Reticulon 3 (RTN3), resides predominantly in the endoplasmic reticulum and has opposite regulatory effects on Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication through interacting with NS5A and NS4B proteins. This study aimed to unravel the actual effect of RTN3 on HCV replication. Materials and Methods: A total of 115 HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving hepatectomy was enrolled in this study. The hepatic HCV RNA and RTN3 protein levels in the non-cancerous liver tissues were examined for clinical analysis. Results: Of the 115 patients, 16 (11.5%) were occult HBV infection (positive for tissue HBV DNA. Univariate followed by multivariate analysis revealed that intrahepatic RTN3 levels were independently associated with higher HCV viral load (p=0.018) and HCV genotype 1 (p=0.017). Multivariate analysis revealed that HCV genotype 1, tumor size, albumin and aspartate transaminase associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival (p<0.05). Conclusion: Higher intrahepatic RTN3 levels independently correlated with higher intrahepatic HCV RNA levels and genotype 1 HCV.