Association of VISTA and BTLA polymorphisms with the risk of non-HBV and non-HCV related hepatocellular carcinoma in Western Guangxi, China: a pilot case-control study

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint including VISTA (V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation) and BTLA (B and T lymphocyte attenuator) critically regulate tumor immune evasion, and their genetic polymorphisms correlate multiple malignancies. With HBV vaccination and antiviral therapy advancing, non-B non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (NBNC-HCC) prevalence rises, while reliable early diagnosis biomarkers for NBNC-HCC remain lacking. AIM: Thus, the present study investigates the associations between VISTA and BTLA polymorphisms and the risk of NBNC-HCC in western Guangxi, China, so as to facilitate targeted high-risk population screening for NBNC-HCC. METHODS: A total of 125 NBNC-HCC patients and 150 healthy individuals were enrolled. Genotyping of VISTA (rs748113, rs10762477, rs3747862) and BTLA (rs3112270, rs1982809, rs1844089) was performed using multiplex PCR combined with targeted sequencing. CONCLUSION: Given the relatively limited sample size and low statistical power, the observed associations between VISTA and BTLA polymorphisms and the risk of NBNC-HCC should be considered hypothesis-generating and require further systematic validation.