Chronic hepatitis B virus infection and occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Table 1 General information of the animals in group A and B

Group	Animal	Sex	Period of observation (week) ^a	Condition at the end of study ^b
A	90-1	F	323	Sacrificed for a suspected liver tumor which was confirmed as liver cell dysplasia microscopically*.
	97-1	M	88	Natural death.
	98-2	F	319	Sacrificed because of HCC.
	121-1	M	278	Sacrificed because of HCC.
	122-1	M	190	Natural death.
	123-3	M	276	Alive.
	Mean ± SD		245.67 ± 90.86^c
B	108-4	F	311	Alive.
	117	F	206	Natural death.
	122-2	F	280	Alive.
	131-3	F	262	Alive.
	133-2	F	246	Natural death.
	133-3	F	260	Alive.
	136-2	M	241	Natural death.
	137-2	F	220	Alive.
	140-3	F	216	Alive.
	Mean ± SD		249.11 ± 33.44^c

^aPeriod of observation, equals to the age of animal because all animals in this study were inoculated at birth and observed since then.
^bNatural death, the death was without clear cause.
^cThe difference of observation period between two groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.607, Wilcoxon W = 67).
*Reference: Ruan P, Yang C, Su J, Cao J, Ou C, Luo C, Tang Y, Wang Q, Yang F, Shi J, et al.: Histopathological changes in the liver of tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) persistently infected with hepatitis B virus. Virol J 2013, 10:333.

ISSN: 1743-422X