Men-only hepatitis B mutation explains higher cancer rates

(American Society for Microbiology) A team of researchers has identified a novel mutation in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Korea that appears only in men and could help explain why HBV-infected men are roughly five times more likely than HBV-infected women to develop liver cancer. Although some women do progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, the mutation is absent in HBV in women. The research is published ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news