Codon 249 mutation in exon 7 of p53 gene in plasma DNA: maybe a new early diagnostic marker of hepatocellular carcinoma in Qidong risk area, China

Table 1 Characteristics of study participants from Qidong

	Hepatocellular carcinomas	Cirrhotics	Controls
	(25)	(20)	(30)
Age (average [range], in years)	49 (27-70)	39 (25-65)	45 (19-87)
Number of males (%)	20 (80)	17 (85)	25 (83)
Hepatitis B surface antigen positive (%)	21 (84)	13 (65)	4 (13)
Serum alpha-fetoprotein positive (%)	20 (80)	14 (70)	0 (0)

Table 2 Prevalence and adjusted odds ratios for plasma 249^Ser p53 mutations by subject groups from Qidong

	Controlsa	Cirrhotics	Hepatocellular carcinomas
	(30)	(20)	(25)
No. positive (%)	2 (7)	4 (20)	10 (40)
OR (95%CI)	1.0	5 (0.6, 29.3)	22.1 (3.2,91.7)

^aEstimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adjusted for age, gender, recruitment site and hepatitis B surface antigen status, using controls as the referent group.