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Zhang M, Chen H, Liu H, Tang H. The impact of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA on oncogenesis and antiviral therapy. Biomark Res 2024; 12:84. [PMID: 39148134 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00611-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The global burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains high, with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients facing a significantly increased risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The ultimate objective of antiviral therapy is to achieve a sterilizing cure for HBV. This necessitates the elimination of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and the complete eradication of integrated HBV DNA. This review aims to summarize the oncogenetic role of HBV integration and the significance of clearing HBV integration in sterilizing cure. It specifically focuses on the molecular mechanisms through which HBV integration leads to HCC, including modulation of the expression of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, induction of chromosomal instability, and expression of truncated mutant HBV proteins. The review also highlights the impact of antiviral therapy in reducing HBV integration and preventing HBV-related HCC. Additionally, the review offers insights into future objectives for the treatment of CHB. Current strategies for HBV DNA integration inhibition and elimination include mainly antiviral therapies, RNA interference and gene editing technologies. Overall, HBV integration deserves further investigation and can potentially serve as a biomarker for CHB and HBV-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Han Chen
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hong Tang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Laboratory of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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2
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Song M, Cheng H, Zou H, Ma K, Lu L, Wei Q, Xu Z, Tang Z, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Sun C. Genomic profiling informs therapies and prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical practice. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:673. [PMID: 38825709 PMCID: PMC11145829 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genomic research has discovered actionable genetic changes that might guide treatment decisions and clinical trials. Nonetheless, due to a lack of large-scale multicenter clinical validation, these putative targets have not been converted into patient survival advantages. So, it's crucial to ascertain whether genetic analysis is clinically feasible, useful, and whether it can be advantageous for patients. We sequenced tumour tissue and blood samples (as normal controls) from 111 Chinese HCC patients at Qingdao University Hospital using the 508-gene panel and the 688-gene panel, respectively. Approximately 95% of patients had gene variations related to targeted treatment, with 50% having clinically actionable mutations that offered significant information for targeted therapy. Immune cell infiltration was enhanced in individuals with TP53 mutations but decreased in patients with CTNNB1 and KMT2D mutations. More notably, we discovered that SPEN, EPPK1, and BRCA2 mutations were related to decreased median overall survival, although MUC16 mutations were not. Furthermore, we found mutant MUC16 as an independent protective factor for the prognosis of HCC patients after curative hepatectomy. In conclusion, this study connects genetic abnormalities to clinical practice and potentially identifies individuals with poor prognoses who may benefit from targeted treatment or immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Song
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Haoyue Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zou
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Kai Ma
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Lianfang Lu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Qian Wei
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zejiang Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zirui Tang
- Software Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yuanzheng Zhang
- Collage of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chuandong Sun
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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3
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Emilius L, Bremm F, Binder AK, Schaft N, Dörrie J. Tumor Antigens beyond the Human Exome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4673. [PMID: 38731892 PMCID: PMC11083240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With the advent of immunotherapeutics, a new era in the combat against cancer has begun. Particularly promising are neo-epitope-targeted therapies as the expression of neo-antigens is tumor-specific. In turn, this allows the selective targeting and killing of cancer cells whilst healthy cells remain largely unaffected. So far, many advances have been made in the development of treatment options which are tailored to the individual neo-epitope repertoire. The next big step is the achievement of efficacious "off-the-shelf" immunotherapies. For this, shared neo-epitopes propose an optimal target. Given the tremendous potential, a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms which lead to the formation of neo-antigens is of fundamental importance. Here, we review the various processes which result in the formation of neo-epitopes. Broadly, the origin of neo-epitopes can be categorized into three groups: canonical, noncanonical, and viral neo-epitopes. For the canonical neo-antigens that arise in direct consequence of somatic mutations, we summarize past and recent findings. Beyond that, our main focus is put on the discussion of noncanonical and viral neo-epitopes as we believe that targeting those provides an encouraging perspective to shape the future of cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisabeth Emilius
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Bremm
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Amanda Katharina Binder
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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4
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Gonvers S, Martins-Filho SN, Hirayama A, Calderaro J, Phillips R, Uldry E, Demartines N, Melloul E, Park YN, Paradis V, Thung SN, Alves V, Sempoux C, Labgaa I. Macroscopic Characterization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Underexploited Source of Prognostic Factors. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:707-719. [PMID: 38605975 PMCID: PMC11007400 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s447848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The macroscopic appearance of a tumor such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may be defined as its phenotype which is de facto dictated by its genotype. Therefore, macroscopic characteristics of HCC are unlikely random but rather reflect genomic traits of cancer, presumably acting as a valuable source of information that can be retrieved and exploited to infer prognosis. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available data on the prognostic value of macroscopic characterization in HCC. A total of 57 studies meeting eligible criteria were identified, including patients undergoing liver resection (LR; 47 studies, 83%) or liver transplant (LT; 9 studies, 16%). The following macroscopic variables were investigated: tumor size (n = 42 studies), number of nodules (n = 28), vascular invasion (n = 24), bile duct invasion (n = 6), growth pattern (n = 15), resection margin (n = 11), tumor location (n = 6), capsule (n = 2) and satellite (n = 1). Although the selected studies provided insightful data with notable prognostic performances, a lack of standardization and substantial gaps were noted in the report and the analysis of gross findings. This topic remains incompletely covered. While the available studies underscored the value of macroscopic variables in HCC prognostication, important lacks were also observed. Macroscopic characterization of HCC is likely an underexploited source of prognostic factors that must be actively explored by future multidisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Gonvers
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - André Hirayama
- Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julien Calderaro
- Department of Pathology, APHP, Henri Mondor University Hospital, Creteil, Val-de-Marne, France
| | - Rebecca Phillips
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Emilie Uldry
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Demartines
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Melloul
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Young Nyun Park
- Department of Pathology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Valérie Paradis
- Department of Pathology, APHP, Beaujon University Hospital, Clichy, France
| | - Swan N Thung
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Venancio Alves
- Department of Pathology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christine Sempoux
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ismail Labgaa
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology & Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Agustiningsih A, Rasyak MR, Turyadi, Jayanti S, Sukowati C. The oncogenic role of hepatitis B virus X gene in hepatocarcinogenesis: recent updates. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2024; 5:120-134. [PMID: 38464387 PMCID: PMC10918233 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2024.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancers with high mortality rate. Among its various etiological factors, one of the major risk factors for HCC is a chronic infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV X protein (HBx) has been identified to play an important role in the HBV-induced HCC pathogenesis since it may interfere with several key regulators of many cellular processes. HBx localization within the cells may be beneficial to HBx multiple functions at different phases of HBV infection and associated hepatocarcinogenesis. HBx as a regulatory protein modulates cellular transcription, molecular signal transduction, cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy, protein degradation pathways, and host genetic stability via interaction with various factors, including its association with various non-coding RNAs. A better understanding on the regulatory mechanism of HBx on various characteristics of HCC would provide an overall picture of HBV-associated HCC. This article addresses recent data on HBx role in the HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustiningsih Agustiningsih
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
| | - Muhammad Rezki Rasyak
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
- Post Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
| | - Turyadi
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
| | - Sri Jayanti
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
| | - Caecilia Sukowati
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
- Liver Cancer Unit, Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy
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Tu A, Zhu X, Dastjerdi PZ, Yin Y, Peng M, Zheng D, Peng Z, Wang E, Wang X, Jing W. Evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese Medicine as the neoadjuvant treatment in reducing the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24437. [PMID: 38322894 PMCID: PMC10843996 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at every therapeutic stage, even before tumor formation. However, the efficacy of TCM in reducing the incidence of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis B-related cirrhosis remains unclear. This study aims to address this gap. Methods Publications were collected from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Sino Med, VIP, and Wan Fang Databases. Relative risk (RR) was calculated with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Results 10 studies with 2702 patients showed that the combination therapy significantly reduced the incidence of HCC in patients with post-hepatitis B cirrhosis at 1, 3, and 5 years. However, the preventive effects of TCM were in compensated cirrhosis, but not the decompensated cirrhosis. Furthermore, TCM correlated with improved liver function and enhanced virological response. Conclusion Combination therapy with TCM demonstrated the certain potential in reducing the incidence of HCC in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. This is attrinuted to the improvement of liver function and enhancement of the viral response. However, the efficacy of TCM in the field still needs more high-quality RCTs to provide stronger evidence in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Tu
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaoning Zhu
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Biomedical Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | | | - Yue Yin
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Mengyun Peng
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Ding Zheng
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhaoxuan Peng
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Encheng Wang
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wang Jing
- Hepatobiliary Department, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Liver Diseases, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Li M, Fan X, Zhao J, Wang D. Establishment and Validation of a Four-stress Granule-related Gene Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2024; 12:1-14. [PMID: 38250470 PMCID: PMC10794267 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2023.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Stress granules (SGs) as membrane-less cytoplasmic foci formed in response to unfavorable external stimuli could promote cancer cells to adapt to hostile environments. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is prone to be highly aggressive once diagnosed, which markedly reduces patient survival time. Therefore, it is crucial to develop valid diagnostic markers to prognosticate HCC patient prognosis, which promotes individualized precision therapeutics in HCC. Considering the pro-tumorigenic activity of SGs, it is of great potential value to construct a prognostic tool for HCC based on the expression profiles of SG-related genes (SGGs). Methods Bioinformatic analysis was employed to establish an SGG-based prognostic signature. Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to assess the expression patterns of the related SGGs. Loss-of-function experiments were performed to analyze the effect of the SGGs on SG formation and cell survival. Results A four-SGG signature (KPNA2, MEX3A, WDR62, and SFN) targeting HCC was established and validated to exhibit a robust performance in predicting HCC prognosis. Consistently, all four genes were further found to be highly expressed in human HCC tissues. More important, we demonstrated that individually knocking down the four SGGs significantly reduced HCC cell proliferation and metastasis by compromising the SG formation process. Conclusions We developed an SGG-based predictive signature that can be used as an independent prognostic tool for HCC. The strong predictive power of this signature was further elucidated by the carcinogenic activity of KPNA2, MEX3A, WDR62, and SFN in HCC cells by regulating SG formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhu Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education; Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiude Fan
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education; Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jiajun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education; Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education; Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Wang H, Chen JJ, Yin SY, Sheng X, Wang HX, Lau WY, Dong H, Cong WM. A Grading System of Microvascular Invasion for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Liver Resection with Curative Intent: A Multicenter Study. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:191-206. [PMID: 38283692 PMCID: PMC10822140 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s447731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Microvascular invasion (MVI) is closely correlated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A grading system of MVI is needed to assist in the management of HCC patient. Methods Multicenter data of HCC patients who underwent liver resection with curative intent was analyzed. This grading system was established by detected number and distance from tumor boundary of MVI. Survival outcomes were compared among patients in each group. This system was verified by time-receiver operating characteristic curve, time-area under the curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analyses. Cox regression analysis was performed to study the associated factors of prognosis. Logistic analysis was used to study the predictive factors of MVI. Results All patients were classified into 4 groups: M0: no MVI; M1: 1~5 proximal MVIs (≤1 cm from tumor boundary); M2a: >5 proximal MVIs (≤1 cm from tumor boundary); M2b: ≥1 distal MVIs (>1 cm from tumor boundary). The recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and early RFS rates among all the individual groups were significantly different. Based on the number of proximal MVI (0~5 vs >5), patients in the M2b group were further divided into two subgroups which also showed different prognosis. Multiple methods showed this grading system to be significantly better than the MVI two-tiered system in prognostic evaluation. Four multivariate models for RFS, OS, early RFS, late RFS, and a predictive model of MVI were then established and were shown to satisfactorily evaluate prognosis and have a great discriminatory power, respectively. Conclusion This MVI grading system could precisely evaluate prognosis of HCC patients after liver resection with curative intent and it could be employed in routine pathological reports. The severity of MVI from both adjacent and distant from tumor boundary should be stated. A hypothesis about two occurrence modes of distal MVI was proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jie Chen
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yi Yin
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xia Sheng
- Department of Pathology, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong-Xia Wang
- Department of Pathology, Jiading District Central Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wan Yee Lau
- Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Ming Cong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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Gordan JD, Keenan BP, Lim HC, Yarchoan M, Kelley RK. New Opportunities to Individualize Frontline Therapy in Advanced Stages of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Drugs 2023; 83:1091-1109. [PMID: 37402062 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-023-01907-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death globally and is rising in incidence. Until recently, treatment options for patients with advanced stages of HCC have been limited to antiangiogenic therapies with modest improvements in overall survival. The emerging role of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in oncology has led to a rapid expansion in treatment options and improvements in outcomes for patients with advanced stages of HCC. Recent clinical trials have shown meaningful survival improvement in patients treated with the combination of bevacizumab and atezolizumab, as well as with the combination of tremelimumab with durvalumab, resulting in regulatory approvals of these regimens as frontline therapy. Beyond improvements in overall survival, ICI-based combination regimens achieve higher rates of durable treatment response than multikinase inhibitors and have favorable side effect profiles. With the emergence of doublet anti-angiogenic and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and dual ICI combinations, individualized therapy is now possible for patients based on co-morbidity profiles and other factors. These more potent systemic therapies are also being tested in earlier stages of disease and in combination with loco-regional therapies such as trans-arterial chemoembolization and stereotactic body radiotherapy. We summarize these advances and emerging therapeutic combinations currently in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Gordan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Bridget P Keenan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Cancer Immunotherapy Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Huat Chye Lim
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - R Katie Kelley
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Cancer Immunotherapy Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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10
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Lin D, Luo R, Ye Z, Wei Q, Bae H, Juon HS, Hann HW, Posey J, Wang C. Genomic characterization of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients with Hepatitis B using circulating tumor DNA. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2023; 47:102161. [PMID: 37307947 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2023.102161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of mortality, with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as a dominant etiology worldwide. Effective early detection strategies may facilitate curative therapies and improve survival. We investigated genomic aberrations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as potential diagnostic markers of HCC in HBV-infected patients. METHODS We identified early stage (BCLC 0-A) HCC cases (n = 21) and patients without HCC (n = 14) from a cohort of Asian patients with HBV, undergoing surveillance between 2013 and 2017. Circulating cell-free DNA was isolated from blood samples, and assayed by next-generation sequencing of 23 genes implicated in HCC pathogenesis. Somatic mutations were identified using a computational pipeline. Using area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, we evaluated gene alterations and clinical factors in an exploratory early HCC detection model. RESULTS Mutant ARID1A, CTNNB1, TP53 genes were increased in HCC cases vs. non-HCC patients (85.7% vs 42.9%, P = 0.011; 42.9% vs 0%, P = 0.005; 100% vs 71.4%, P = 0.019, respectively). Using these three genes, AUC for discriminating HCC from non-HCC patients was 0.844 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7317-0.9553). When combining these genes with clinical factors in an exploratory early HCC detection model, AUC increased from 0.7415 (using clinical factors alone) to 0.9354 (P = 0.041). CONCLUSION Genomic aberrations in ctDNA were more prevalent in HBV-infected HCC patients compared with patients without HCC. Combining these alterations with clinical factors may identify HCC in HBV-infected patients at an early stage. These findings warrant validation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Rui Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhong Ye
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ho Bae
- Asia-Pacific Liver Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hee-Soon Juon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hie Won Hann
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Liver Disease Prevention Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James Posey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chun Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Shoraka S, Hosseinian SM, Hasibi A, Ghaemi A, Mohebbi SR. The role of hepatitis B virus genome variations in HBV-related HCC: effects on host signaling pathways. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1213145. [PMID: 37588887 PMCID: PMC10426804 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1213145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health issue, with a high prevalence in many regions. There are variations in the etiology of HCC in different regions, but most cases are due to long-term infection with viral hepatitis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for more than 50% of virus-related HCC, which highlights the importance of HBV in pathogenesis of the disease. The development and progression of HBV-related HCC is a complex multistep process that can involve host, viral, and environmental factors. Several studies have suggested that some HBV genome mutations as well as HBV proteins can dysregulate cell signaling pathways involved in the development of HCC. Furthermore, it seems that the pathogenicity, progression of liver diseases, response to treatment and also viral replication are different among HBV mutants. Understanding the relationship between HBV genome variations and host signaling pathway alteration will improve our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC. Furthermore, investigating commonly dysregulated pathways in HBV-related HCC is necessary to discover more specific therapeutic targets and develop more effective strategies for HCC treatment. The objective of this review is to address the role of HBV in the HCC progression and primarily focus on the impacts of HBV genome variations on HCC-related signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Shoraka
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hosseinian
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ayda Hasibi
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Ghaemi
- Department of Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Reza Mohebbi
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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12
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Qiu N, Srikanth A, Mulaw M, Tharehalli U, Selvachandran S, Wagner M, Seufferlein T, Stifter K, Lechel A, Schirmbeck R. CD8 T cell-mediated depletion of HBV surface-antigen-expressing, bilineal-differentiated liver carcinoma cells generates highly aggressive escape variants. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2215096. [PMID: 37261086 PMCID: PMC10228399 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2215096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of viral antigens in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection drives continuous liver inflammation, one of the main risk factors to develop liver cancer. HBV developed immune-suppressive functions to escape from the host immune system, but their link to liver tumor development is not well understood. Here, we analyzed if and how HBV surface antigen (HBs) expression in combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC/iCCA) cells influences their antigenicity for CD8 T cells. We randomly isolated liver tumor tissues from AlfpCre+-Trp53fl/fl/Alb-HBs+ tg mice and established primary carcinoma cell lines (pCCL) that showed a bilineal (CK7+/HNF4α+) cHCC/iCCA phenotype. These pCCL uniformly expressed HBs (HBshi), and low levels of MHC-I (MHC-Ilo), and were transiently convertible to a high antigenicity (MHC-Ihi) phenotype by IFN-γ treatment. HBshi/pCCL induced HBs/(Kb/S190-197)-specific CD8 T cells and developed slow-growing tumors in subcutaneously transplanted C57Bl/6J (B6) mice. Interestingly, pCCL-ex cells, established from HBshi/pCCL-induced and re-explanted tumors in B6 but not those in immune-deficient Rag1-/- mice showed major alterations, like an MHC-Ihi phenotype, a prominent growth-biased gene expression signature, a significantly decreased HBs expression (HBslo) and a switch to fast-growing tumors in re-transplanted B6 or PD-1-/- hosts with an unlocked PD-1/PD-L1 control system. CD8 T cell-mediated elimination of HBshi/pCCL, together with the attenuation of the negative restraints of HBs in the tumor cells, like ER-stress, reveals a novel mechanism to unleash highly aggressive HBslo/pCCL-ex immune-escape variants. Under certain conditions, HBs-specific CD8 T-cell responses thus potentiate tumor growth, an aspect that should be considered for therapeutic vaccination strategies against chronic HBV infection and liver tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Qiu
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Unit for single-cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Akshaya Srikanth
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Medhanie Mulaw
- Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Umesh Tharehalli
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- The first Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | | | - Martin Wagner
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Katja Stifter
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - André Lechel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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13
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Zhang J, Hu C, Xie X, Qi L, Li C, Li S. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in HBV-Caused Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030614. [PMID: 36992198 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, with high incidence and mortality worldwide. Surgery, liver transplantation, and ablation therapies have been used to treat early HBV-caused HCC (HBV-HCC); meanwhile, in the advanced stage, chemoradiotherapy and drug-targeted therapy are regularly considered, but with limited efficacy. Recently, immunotherapies, such as tumor vaccine therapy, adoptive cell transfer therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, have demonstrated promising efficacy in cancer treatment. In particular, immune checkpoint inhibitors can successfully prevent tumors from achieving immune escape and promote an anti-tumor response, thereby boosting the therapeutic effect in HBV-HCC. However, the advantages of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of HBV-HCC remain to be exploited. Here, we describe the basic characteristics and development of HBV-HCC and introduce current treatment strategies for HBV-HCC. Of note, we review the principles of immune checkpoint molecules, such as programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) in HBV-HCC, as well as related inhibitors being considered in the clinic. We also discuss the benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of HBV-HCC and the efficacy of those inhibitors in HCC with various etiologies, aiming to provide insights into the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of HBV-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Changwei Hu
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Xie
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Linzhi Qi
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chuanzhou Li
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shangze Li
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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14
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Wu X, Ni Z, Song T, Lv W, Chen Y, Huang D, Xie Y, Huang W, Niu Y. C-Terminal Truncated HBx Facilitates Oncogenesis by Modulating Cell Cycle and Glucose Metabolism in FXR-Deficient Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065174. [PMID: 36982249 PMCID: PMC10048952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a nuclear receptor known to play protective roles in anti-hepatocarcinogenesis and regulation of the basal metabolism of glucose, lipids, and bile acids. FXR expression is low or absent in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. Full-length HBx and HBx C-terminal truncation are frequently found in clinical HCC samples and play distinct roles in hepatocarcinogenesis by interacting with FXR or FXR signaling. However, the impact of C-terminal truncated HBx on the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis in the absence of FXR is unclear. In this study, we found that one known FXR binding protein, a C-terminal truncated X protein (HBx C40) enhanced obviously and promoted tumor cell proliferation and migration by altering cell cycle distribution and inducing apoptosis in the absence of FXR. HBx C40 enhanced the growth of FXR-deficient tumors in vivo. In addition, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that HBx C40 overexpression could affect energy metabolism. Overexpressed HSPB8 aggravated the metabolic reprogramming induced by down-regulating glucose metabolism-associated hexokinase 2 genes in HBx C40-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Overall, our study suggests that C-terminal truncated HBx C40 synergizes with FXR deficiency by altering cell cycle distribution as well as disturbing glucose metabolism to promote HCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejun Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Zhengzhong Ni
- School of Public Health, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Tiantian Song
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Wenya Lv
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Danmei Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yangmin Xie
- Department of Experimental Animal Center, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Weiyi Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yongdong Niu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +86-0754-88900432
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15
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Proteomic and single-cell landscape reveals novel pathogenic mechanisms of HBV-infected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. iScience 2023; 26:106003. [PMID: 36852159 PMCID: PMC9958296 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the epidemiological association between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, little is known about the relevant oncogenic effects. A cohort of 32 HBV-infected ICC and 89 non-HBV-ICC patients were characterized using whole-exome sequencing, proteomic analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Proteomic analysis revealed decreased cell-cell junction levels in HBV-ICC patients. The cell-cell junction level had an inverse relationship with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in ICC patients. Analysis of the immune landscape found that more CD8 T cells and Th2 cells were present in HBV-ICC patients. Single-cell analysis indicated that transforming growth factor beta signaling-related EMT program changes increased in tumor cells of HBV-ICC patients. Moreover, ICAM1+ tumor-associated macrophages are correlated with a poor prognosis and contributed to the EMT in HBV-ICC patients. Our findings provide new insights into the behavior of HBV-infected ICC driven by various pathogenic mechanisms involving decreased cell junction levels and increased progression of the EMT program.
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16
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Tourkochristou E, Assimakopoulos SF, Thomopoulos K, Marangos M, Triantos C. NAFLD and HBV interplay - related mechanisms underlying liver disease progression. Front Immunol 2022; 13:965548. [PMID: 36544761 PMCID: PMC9760931 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.965548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) constitute common chronic liver diseases with worldwide distribution. NAFLD burden is expected to grow in the coming decade, especially in western countries, considering the increased incidence of diabetes and obesity. Despite the organized HBV vaccinations and use of anti-viral therapies globally, HBV infection remains endemic and challenging public health issue. As both NAFLD and HBV have been associated with the development of progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the co-occurrence of both diseases has gained great research and clinical interest. The causative relationship between NAFLD and HBV infection has not been elucidated so far. Dysregulated fatty acid metabolism and lipotoxicity in NAFLD disease seems to initiate activation of signaling pathways that enhance pro-inflammatory responses and disrupt hepatocyte cell homeostasis, promoting progression of NAFLD disease to NASH, fibrosis and HCC and can affect HBV replication and immune encountering of HBV virus, which may further have impact on liver disease progression. Chronic HBV infection is suggested to have an influence on metabolic changes, which could lead to NAFLD development and the HBV-induced inflammatory responses and molecular pathways may constitute an aggravating factor in hepatic steatosis development. The observed altered immune homeostasis in both HBV infection and NAFLD could be associated with progression to HCC development. Elucidation of the possible mechanisms beyond HBV chronic infection and NAFLD diseases, which could lead to advanced liver disease or increase the risk for severe complications, in the case of HBV-NAFLD co-existence is of high clinical significance in the context of designing effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia Tourkochristou
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Stelios F. Assimakopoulos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece,*Correspondence: Stelios F. Assimakopoulos,
| | - Konstantinos Thomopoulos
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Markos Marangos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Christos Triantos
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
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17
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Immunopeptidome of hepatocytes isolated from patients with HBV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma. JHEP Rep 2022; 4:100576. [PMID: 36185575 PMCID: PMC9523389 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2022.100576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Antigen-specific immunotherapy is a promising strategy to treat HBV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To facilitate killing of malignant and/or infected hepatocytes, it is vital to know which T cell targets are presented by human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-I complexes on patient-derived hepatocytes. Here, we aimed to reveal the hepatocyte-specific HLA-I peptidome with emphasis on peptides derived from HBV proteins and tumour-associated antigens (TAA) to guide development of antigen-specific immunotherapy. Methods Primary human hepatocytes were isolated with high purity from (HBV-infected) non-tumour and HCC tissues using a newly designed perfusion-free procedure. Hepatocyte-derived HLA-bound peptides were identified by unbiased mass spectrometry (MS), after which source proteins were subjected to Gene Ontology and pathway analysis. HBV antigen and TAA-derived HLA peptides were searched for using targeted MS, and a selection of peptides was tested for immunogenicity. Results Using unbiased data-dependent acquisition (DDA), we acquired a high-quality HLA-I peptidome of 2 × 105 peptides that contained 8 HBV-derived peptides and 14 peptides from 8 known HCC-associated TAA that were exclusive to tumours. Of these, 3 HBV- and 12 TAA-derived HLA peptides were detected by targeted MS in the sample they were originally identified in by DDA. Moreover, 2 HBV- and 2 TAA-derived HLA peptides were detected in samples in which no identification was made using unbiased MS. Finally, immunogenicity was demonstrated for 5 HBV-derived and 3 TAA-derived peptides. Conclusions We present a first HLA-I immunopeptidome of isolated primary human hepatocytes, devoid of immune cells. Identified HBV-derived and TAA-derived peptides directly aid development of antigen-specific immunotherapy for chronic HBV infection and HCC. The described methodology can also be applied to personalise immunotherapeutic treatment of liver diseases in general. Lay summary Immunotherapy that aims to induce immune responses against a virus or tumour is a promising novel treatment option to treat chronic HBV infection and liver cancer. For the design of successful therapy, it is essential to know which fragments (i.e. peptides) of virus-derived and tumour-specific proteins are presented to the T cells of the immune system by diseased liver cells and are thus good targets for immunotherapy. Here, we have isolated liver cells from patients who have chronic HBV infection and/or liver cancer, analysed what peptides are presented by these cells, and assessed which peptides are able to drive immune responses. We developed a perfusion-free method to isolate primary hepatocytes that are depleted of immune cells. We derived a large-scale unbiased hepatocyte HLA ligandome from patients with HBV and/or HCC. The ligandome included peptides derived from HBV proteins and tumour-associated antigens (TAA). Using a targeted MS regime, the detection sensitivity of several HBV and TAA-derived peptides could be increased. Immunogenicity was demonstrated for a selection of TAA- and HBV-derived HLA peptides.
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Key Words
- Antigen presentation
- Cancer germline antigen
- Cancer testis antigen
- DDA, data-dependent acquisition
- GO, Gene Ontology
- HBV, Hepatitis B virus
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HLA
- HLA, human leucocyte antigen
- IEDB, Immune Epitope Database
- IFNγ, interferon γ
- IP, immunoprecipitation
- KEGG, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes
- LSEC, liver sinusoidal cell
- Liver cancer
- MHC
- MS, mass spectrometry
- PBMCs, peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- PRM, parallel reaction monitoring
- Peptidome
- Pol, polymerase
- T cell epitope
- TAA, tumour-associated antigen
- Viral hepatitis
- cHBV, chronic HBV
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18
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Testa U, Pelosi E, Castelli G. Clinical value of identifying genes that inhibit hepatocellular carcinomas. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2022; 22:1009-1035. [PMID: 36459631 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2022.2154658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Primary liver cancer is a major health problem being the sixth most frequent cancer in the world and the fourth most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world. The most common histological type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 75-80%). AREAS COVERED Based on primary literature, this review provides an updated analysis of studies of genetic characterization of HCC at the level of gene mutation profiling, copy number alterations and gene expression, with definition of molecular subgroups and identification of some molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets. EXPERT OPINION A detailed and comprehensive study of the genetic abnormalities characterizing different HCC subsets represents a fundamental tool for a better understanding of the disease heterogeneity and for the identification of subgroups of patients responding or resistant to targeted treatments and for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. It is expected that a comprehensive characterization of these tumors may provide a fundamental contribution to improve the survival of a subset of HCC patients. Immunotherapy represents a new fundamental strategy for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, ROME, ITALY
| | - Elvira Pelosi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, ROME, ITALY
| | - Germana Castelli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, ROME, ITALY
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19
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Cao X, Chen H, Li Z, Li X, Yang X, Jin Q, Liang Y, Zhang J, Zhou M, Zhang N, Chen G, Du H, Zao X, Ye Y. Network pharmacology and in vitro experiments-based strategy to investigate the mechanisms of KangXianYiAi formula for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:985084. [PMID: 36133813 PMCID: PMC9483169 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.985084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chinese traditional medicine KangXianYiAi formula (KXYA) is used to treat hepatic disease in the clinic. Here we aim to confirm the therapeutic effects and explore the pharmacological mechanisms of KXYA on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We first collected and analyzed clinical data of 40 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with precancerous liver lesions under KXYA treatment. Then, the cell viability, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis of HepAD38 cells with KXYA treatment were examined. Next, we performed network pharmacological analysis based on database mining to obtain the key target pathways and genes of KXYA treatment on HBV-related HCC. We finally analyzed the expression of the key genes between normal and HBV-related HCC tissues in databases and measured the mRNA expression of the key genes in HepAD38 cells after KXYA treatment. The KXYA treatment could reduce the liver nodule size of CHB patients, suppress the proliferation and migration capabilities, and promote apoptosis of HepAD38 cells. The key pathways of KXYA on HBV-related HCC were Cancer, Hepatitis B, Viral carcinogenesis, Focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling, and KXYA treatment could regulate the expression of the key genes including HNF4A, MAPK8, NR3C1, PTEN, EGFR, and HDAC1. The KXYA exhibited a curative effect via inhibiting proliferation, migration, and promoting apoptosis of HBV-related HCC and the pharmacological mechanism was related to the regulation of the expression of HNF4A, MAPK8, NR3C1, PTEN, EGFR, and HDAC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Cao
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hening Chen
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Beijing Fengtai Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoke Li
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xianzhao Yang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qiushuo Jin
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yijun Liang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Meiyue Zhou
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ningyi Zhang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Chen
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guang Chen, ; Hongbo Du, ; Xiaobin Zao, ; Yong’an Ye,
| | - Hongbo Du
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guang Chen, ; Hongbo Du, ; Xiaobin Zao, ; Yong’an Ye,
| | - Xiaobin Zao
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guang Chen, ; Hongbo Du, ; Xiaobin Zao, ; Yong’an Ye,
| | - Yong’an Ye
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guang Chen, ; Hongbo Du, ; Xiaobin Zao, ; Yong’an Ye,
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20
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Choi YR, Chen MC, Carrai M, Rizzo F, Chai Y, Tse M, Jackson K, Martella V, Steiner J, Pesavento PA, Beatty JA, Barrs VR. Hepadnavirus DNA Is Detected in Canine Blood Samples in Hong Kong but Not in Liver Biopsies of Chronic Hepatitis or Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071543. [PMID: 35891523 PMCID: PMC9320092 DOI: 10.3390/v14071543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by the hepadnavirus hepatitis B virus (HBV) are significant causes of human mortality. A hepatitis-B-like virus infecting cats, domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), was reported in 2018. DCH DNA is hepatotropic and detectable in feline blood or serum (3.2 to 12.3%). Detection of HBV DNA has been reported in sera from 10% of free-roaming dogs in Brazil, whereas 6.3% of sera from dogs in Italy tested positive for DCH DNA by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). If DCH, HBV, or another hepadnavirus is hepatotropic in dogs, a role for such a virus in the etiology of canine idiopathic chronic hepatitis (CH) or HCC warrants investigation. This study investigated whether DCH DNA could be detected via qPCR in blood from dogs in Hong Kong and also whether liver biopsies from dogs with confirmed idiopathic CH or HCC contained hepadnaviral DNA using two panhepadnavirus conventional PCRs (cPCR) and a DCH-specific cPCR. DCH DNA was amplified from 2 of 501 (0.4%) canine whole-blood DNA samples. A second sample taken 6 or 7 months later from each dog tested negative in DCH qPCR. DNA extracted from 101 liver biopsies from dogs in Hong Kong or the USA, diagnosed by board-certified pathologists as idiopathic CH (n = 47) or HCC (n = 54), tested negative for DCH DNA and also tested negative using panhepadnavirus cPCRs. This study confirms that DCH DNA can be detected in canine blood by qPCR, although at a much lower prevalence than that reported previously. We identified no evidence to support a pathogenic role for a hepadnavirus in canine idiopathic CH or HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ru Choi
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China; (Y.R.C.); (M.C.); (V.R.B.)
| | - Min-Chun Chen
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Maura Carrai
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China; (Y.R.C.); (M.C.); (V.R.B.)
| | - Francesca Rizzo
- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China;
| | - Yingfei Chai
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China;
| | - May Tse
- CityU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China;
| | - Ken Jackson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (K.J.); (P.A.P.)
| | - Vito Martella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Italy;
| | - Joerg Steiner
- Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Patricia A. Pesavento
- School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (K.J.); (P.A.P.)
| | - Julia A. Beatty
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China; (Y.R.C.); (M.C.); (V.R.B.)
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China;
- Correspondence:
| | - Vanessa R. Barrs
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China; (Y.R.C.); (M.C.); (V.R.B.)
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 518057, China;
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21
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Hu W, Liu D, Li R, Qian H, Qiu W, Ye Q, Kong F. Comprehensive Analysis of TRIM Family Genes in Hepatitis Virus B-Related Hepatoma Carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:913743. [PMID: 35873464 PMCID: PMC9301387 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.913743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: As significant components of E3 ligases, the tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins participate in various biological processes and facilitate the development of several diseases. Nevertheless, the correlations of TIRMs with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive hepatoma carcinoma (HCC) are not well elaborated. Methods: The expression profile of TRIM genes in HBV-associated HCC and related clinical information were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atla (TCGA) database and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Dependent on the ConsensusPathDB and STRING databases, the gene ontology, Reactome pathways, and protein-protein interaction were assessed. Relied on TIMER 2.0 database, the relationship of the TRIMs with immune infiltration was investigated. Using multivariate analysis and Kaplan Meier analysis, the association between TRIM genes and the prognostic value was examined. Results: A total of 17 TRIM genes, including TRIM16, TRIM17, and TRIM31 with fold change no less than 1.5, were discovered to upregulate in HBV-associated HCC in both TCGA and ICGC cohorts. Relied on gene enrichment analysis, the identified TRIMs were observed to not only be related to the interferon and cytokine signaling but also linked to the adaptive immune system. Particularly, the co-expression patterns of identified TRIMs with other E3 ligase genes and many innate immune genes that are associated with Toll-like receptor signaling, apoptosis, and SUMOylation. Besides, some of identified TRIM expressions were also linked to the infiltration levels of T cells and B cells. Additionally, several TRIM genes were associated with various clinical factors and relevant to the poor survival of HBV-associated HCC. Conclusion: Our findings could deepen our understanding of TRIMs and their correlations with HBV-associated HCC. Furthermore, some of these TRIMs may be utilized as new prognostic markers of HBV-related HCC prognosis, or act as potential molecular targets for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hu
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Dongsheng Liu
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Renjie Li
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Hong Qian
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Wei Qiu
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Qingwang Ye
- NanJing Drum Tower Hospital Group Suqian Hospital, The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Suqian, China
| | - Fanyun Kong
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Fanyun Kong,
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22
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Koffas A, Mak LY, Gill US, Kennedy PTF. Early Treatment Consideration in Patients with Hepatitis B 'e' Antigen-Positive Chronic Infection: Is It Time for a Paradigm Shift? Viruses 2022; 14:v14050900. [PMID: 35632642 PMCID: PMC9143099 DOI: 10.3390/v14050900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, due to the adverse sequelae of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, antiviral therapy has been reserved for patients with ostensibly active liver disease, fibrosis or cirrhosis, and/or increased risk of HCC. Historically, patients with hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic infection, were not offered antiviral therapy. Nevertheless, there has been compelling evidence emerging in recent years, demonstrating that this disease phase is in fact not characterized by immunological tolerance. HBV integration into the human genome is a frequent event found in these patients. Additionally, it may well be associated with active inflammation and fibrosis, even in the presence of persistently normal liver enzymes. Likewise, it appears that the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis are already present during this early stage of the disease. This was reflected in the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines, where treating patients above the age of 30 years with HBeAg-positive chronic infection was proposed. Lowering the treatment threshold to broaden treatment eligibility is likely to slow disease progression and reduce the risk of developing HCC. The current review discusses the reasons to consider early antiviral therapy in HBeAg-positive chronic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Koffas
- Barts Liver Centre, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; (A.K.); (L.-Y.M.); (U.S.G.)
| | - Lung-Yi Mak
- Barts Liver Centre, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; (A.K.); (L.-Y.M.); (U.S.G.)
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Upkar S. Gill
- Barts Liver Centre, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; (A.K.); (L.-Y.M.); (U.S.G.)
| | - Patrick T. F. Kennedy
- Barts Liver Centre, Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; (A.K.); (L.-Y.M.); (U.S.G.)
- Correspondence:
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23
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Xiao Y, Cao J, Zhang Z, Zeng C, Ou G, Shi J, Liu Z, Li Y, Deng J, Xu Y, Zhang W, Li J, Li T, Zhuang H, Lu S, Xiang K. Hepatitis B Virus Pregenomic RNA Reflecting Viral Replication in Distal Non-tumor Tissues as a Determinant of the Stemness and Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:830741. [PMID: 35464922 PMCID: PMC9021960 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.830741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The existence of hepatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributes to chemotherapy resistance and cancer recurrence after treatment or surgery. However, very little is known about the hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and its relationship with the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HBV-related HCC patients. Methods We collected tumor tissues (T), matched adjacent non-tumor tissues (NT), and distal non-tumor tissues (FNT) from 55 HCC patients for analysis. Results We found HBV DNA levels were higher in T samples than NT and FNT samples, but HBV pgRNA and total RNA expressed lower in T samples. HBV pgRNA and total RNA correlate to HBV DNA among the T, NT, and FNT samples. Further evidence for HBV replication in T samples was provided by HBV S, reverse transcriptase, and X genes sequencing, showing that HBV sequences and genotypes differed between T and matched NT and FNT samples. HBV pgRNA and total RNA showed more frequent significant correlations with CSC markers in NT samples in HBsAg-positive patients. The markers CD133 and OCT4 expressed higher in FNT samples, and HBV replication marker of pgRNA levels was significantly positively correlated to these two markers only in FNT samples. The detection of pgRNA and OCT4 in FNT was correlated to the recurrence of HCC in the resection of HCC patients. Analysis of HBV receptor, sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), showed that NTCP was correlated negatively to CSC markers in T samples, except for the CD44. Conclusion HBV replication may present in HCC with a weak transcriptomic signature. Moreover, the expression level of HBV pgRNA in distal non-tumor tissues is a sensitive marker for HBV replication and prognosis, which is associated with CSC-related markers especially with OCT4 in distal non-tumor tissues and recurrence of HCC in HBV-related HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Xiao
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Junning Cao
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ze Zhang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoting Zeng
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Guomin Ou
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jihang Shi
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixiu Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Langfang, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Deng
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yinzhe Xu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Tong Li
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,Peking University-YHLO Joint Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostic of Infectious Disease, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zhuang
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,Peking University-YHLO Joint Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostic of Infectious Disease, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shichun Lu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Genera Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Kuanhui Xiang
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,Peking University-YHLO Joint Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostic of Infectious Disease, Peking University, Beijing, China
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24
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An J, Kim D, Oh B, Oh YJ, Song J, Park N, Kim HI, Kang HJ, Oh JH, Kim W, Lee E, Sung CO, Song GW, Kim DG, Yu E, Letouzé E, Zucman-Rossi J, Lee HC, Shim JH. Comprehensive characterization of viral integrations and genomic aberrations in HBV-infected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Hepatology 2022; 75:997-1011. [PMID: 34478159 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Despite the epidemiological association between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and HBV infection, little is known about the relevant oncogenic effects. We sought to identify the landscape and mechanism of HBV integration, along with the genomic architecture of HBV-infected iCCA (HBV-iCCA) tumors. APPROACH AND RESULTS We profiled a cohort of 108 HBV-iCCAs using whole-genome sequencing, deep sequencing, and RNA sequencing, together with preconstructed data sets of HBV-infected HCC (HBV-HCC; n = 167) and combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HBV-cHCC/CCA; n = 59), and conventional (n = 154) and fluke-related iCCAs (n = 16). Platforms based on primary iCCA cell lines to evaluate the functional effects of chimeric transcripts were also used. We found that HBV had inserted at multiple sites in the iCCA genomes in 45 (41.7%) of the tumors. Recurrent viral integration breakpoints were found at nine different sites. The most common insertional hotspot (7 tumors) was in the TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) promoter, where insertions and mutations (11 tumors) were mutually exclusive, and were accompanied by promoter hyperactivity. Recurrent HBV integration events (5 tumors) were also detected in FAT2 (FAT atypical cadherin 2), and were associated with enrichment of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes. A distinctive intergenic insertion (chr9p21.3), between DMRTA1 (DMRT like family A1) and LINC01239 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1239), had oncogenic effects through activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/4EBP/S6K pathway. Regarding the mutational profiles of primary liver cancers, the overall landscape of HBV-iCCA was closer to that of nonviral conventional iCCA, than to HBV-HCC and HBV-cHCC/CCA. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide insight into the behavior of iCCAs driven by various pathogenic mechanisms involving HBV integration events and associated genomic aberrations. This knowledge should be of use in managing HBV carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun An
- Gastroenterology and HepatologyHanyang University College of MedicineGuri, GyeonggiRepublic of Korea
| | - Deokhoon Kim
- PathologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Center for Cancer Genome DiscoveryAsan Institute for Life ScienceUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Bora Oh
- Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Yoo-Jin Oh
- Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Song
- Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Naomi Park
- Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Ha Il Kim
- GastroenterologyKyung Hee University Hospital at GangdongSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jeong Kang
- PathologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Oh
- Center for Cancer Genome DiscoveryAsan Institute for Life ScienceUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Wonkyung Kim
- Center for Cancer Genome DiscoveryAsan Institute for Life ScienceUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Asan Institute for Life ScienceAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Eunjung Lee
- Medical ScienceAsan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and TechnologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Chang Ohk Sung
- PathologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Center for Cancer Genome DiscoveryAsan Institute for Life ScienceUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineAsan Medical CenterSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Gi-Won Song
- SurgeryAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Asan Liver CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Dae-Ghon Kim
- Gastroenterology and HepatologyChonbuk National University Medical SchoolJeonjuJeonbukRepublic of Korea
| | - Eunsil Yu
- PathologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,Asan Liver CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Eric Letouzé
- Centre de Recherche des CordeliersSorbonne UniversitéINSERMUniversité de ParisParisFrance.,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le CancerLabex OncoImmunologyParisFrance
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des CordeliersSorbonne UniversitéINSERMUniversité de ParisParisFrance.,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le CancerLabex OncoImmunologyParisFrance.,Hôpital Européen Georges PompidouParisFrance
| | - Han Chu Lee
- Asan Liver CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,GastroenterologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Ju Hyun Shim
- Asan Liver CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea.,GastroenterologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
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25
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Péneau C, Imbeaud S, La Bella T, Hirsch TZ, Caruso S, Calderaro J, Paradis V, Blanc JF, Letouzé E, Nault JC, Amaddeo G, Zucman-Rossi J. Hepatitis B virus integrations promote local and distant oncogenic driver alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut 2022; 71:616-626. [PMID: 33563643 PMCID: PMC8862055 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Infection by HBV is the main risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. HBV directly drives carcinogenesis through integrations in the human genome. This study aimed to precisely characterise HBV integrations, in relation with viral and host genomics and clinical features. DESIGN A novel pipeline was set up to perform viral capture on tumours and non-tumour liver tissues from a French cohort of 177 patients mainly of European and African origins. Clonality of each integration event was determined with the localisation, orientation and content of the integrated sequence. In three selected tumours, complex integrations were reconstructed using long-read sequencing or Bionano whole genome mapping. RESULTS Replicating HBV DNA was more frequently detected in non-tumour tissues and associated with a higher number of non-clonal integrations. In HCC, clonal selection of HBV integrations was related to two different mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis. First, integration of viral enhancer nearby a cancer-driver gene may lead to a strong overexpression of oncogenes. Second, we identified frequent chromosome rearrangements at HBV integration sites leading to cancer-driver genes (TERT, TP53, MYC) alterations at distance. Moreover, HBV integrations have direct clinical implications as HCC with a high number of insertions develop in young patients and have a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION Deep characterisation of HBV integrations in liver tissues highlights new HBV-associated driver mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. HBV integrations have multiple direct oncogenic consequences that remain an important challenge for the follow-up of HBV-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Péneau
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Imbeaud
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Tiziana La Bella
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Theo Z Hirsch
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Stefano Caruso
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Julien Calderaro
- Service d’Anatomopathologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, Créteil, France
| | - Valerie Paradis
- Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, Clichy, France,Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, Centre de Recherche 27 sur l'Inflammation (CRI), Paris, France
| | - Jean-Frederic Blanc
- Service Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Oncologie Digestive, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France,Service de Pathologie, CHU Bordeaux GH Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France,Université Bordeaux, Inserm, Research in Translational Oncology, BaRITOn, Bordeaux, France
| | - Eric Letouzé
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France,Service d’Hépatologie, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, Bobigny, France
| | - Giuliana Amaddeo
- Service d’Hépato-Gastro-Entérologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Université Paris Est Créteil, Inserm U955, Institut Mondor de recherche biomedicale, Creteil, Île-de-France, France
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France .,Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, Paris, France.,Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France
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Premkumar M, Chawla YK. Should We Treat Immune Tolerant Chronic Hepatitis B? Lessons from Asia. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2022; 12:144-154. [PMID: 35068795 PMCID: PMC8766700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2021.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a public health burden, with more than 257 million persons living with hepatitis B virus globally. Despite the availability of a safe and efficacious vaccine, access to immunization remains poor. As per current estimates, if Asian countries rely only on immunization to reduce the burden of disease, the timelines for HBV elimination will be extended to 2060-2090, a far cry from the World Health Organization's clarion call for viral hepatitis elimination by 2030. METHODS Currently, all practice guidelines lay stress on immunization, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and treatment of immune active disease or cirrhosis. In this review, we critically examine the data from the Asian cohorts, clinical and public health rationale of early treatment, risk of HCC, and assess the need for revision of guidelines. DISCUSSION Patients in the immune tolerant phase (IT) remain untreated till they meet variable age, transaminase, or fibrosis criteria, are often lost to follow up and continue transmitting the infection. With global migration patterns, immunization programmes alone cannot prevent the complications of HBV like cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, data from Asian cohorts from Taiwan and Korea suggest that HBV DNA levels are directly associated with increased risk of HCC. Histological evidence of advanced fibrosis or immune reactive T cell subsets in the IT phase also raises doubts about the viability of current guidelines that focus on age, alanine transaminase levels, and liver stiffness as markers of risk of inflammation and fibrosis. Current practice does not take into account the histological subsets with minimal inflammation, HBV genome integration or risk of HCC with high viral loads. CONCLUSION New data from Asian cohorts argue the case of expanding access to care to IT-CHB from public health and clinical perspective.
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Key Words
- ALT, alanine transaminase
- CHB, chronic hepatitis B
- HBV Elimination in India
- HBV RNA
- HBV, hepatitis B virus
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCV, hepatitis C virus
- IA, immune active
- IT, immune tolerant
- MTCT, mother-to-child transmission
- NA, nucleos(t)ide analogs
- PWID, persons who inject drugs
- WHO, World Health Organization
- cccDNA
- chronic hepatitis B
- hepatocellular carcinoma
- immune tolerant phase
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhumita Premkumar
- Department of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India
| | - Yogesh K. Chawla
- Emeritus Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneshwar, India
- Address for correspondence: Prof. Yogesh K Chawla, Ex-Director (PGIMER), Former Prof, & Head, Department of Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
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Lefeuvre C, Le Guillou-Guillemette H, Ducancelle A. A Pleiotropic Role of the Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein in Hepatocarcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413651. [PMID: 34948447 PMCID: PMC8707456 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most common factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the sixth most prevalent cancer among all cancers worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of HBV-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis is unclear. Evidence currently available suggests that the HBV core protein (HBc) plays a potential role in the development of HCC, such as the HBV X protein. The core protein, which is the structural component of the viral nucleocapsid, contributes to almost every stage of the HBV life cycle and occupies diverse roles in HBV replication and pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that HBc was able to disrupt various pathways involved in liver carcinogenesis: the signaling pathways implicated in migration and proliferation of hepatoma cells, apoptosis pathways, and cell metabolic pathways inducing the development of HCC; and the immune system, through the expression and production of proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, HBc can modulate normal functions of hepatocytes through disrupting human host gene expression by binding to promoter regions. This HBV protein also promotes HCC metastasis through epigenetic alterations, such as micro-RNA. This review focuses on the molecular pathogenesis of the HBc protein in HBV-induced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Lefeuvre
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Département de Biologie des Agents Infectieux, CHU Angers, F-49000 Angers, France; (H.L.G.-G.); (A.D.)
- HIFIH Laboratory UPRES EA3859, SFR ICAT 4208, Angers University, F-49000 Angers, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Hélène Le Guillou-Guillemette
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Département de Biologie des Agents Infectieux, CHU Angers, F-49000 Angers, France; (H.L.G.-G.); (A.D.)
- HIFIH Laboratory UPRES EA3859, SFR ICAT 4208, Angers University, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Alexandra Ducancelle
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Département de Biologie des Agents Infectieux, CHU Angers, F-49000 Angers, France; (H.L.G.-G.); (A.D.)
- HIFIH Laboratory UPRES EA3859, SFR ICAT 4208, Angers University, F-49000 Angers, France
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Wang G, Duan Z. Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2021; 9:769-791. [PMID: 34722192 PMCID: PMC8516840 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2021.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve the goal of the World Health Organization to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030, the Chinese Society of Infectious Diseases and the Chinese Society of Hepatology convened an expert panel in 2019 to update the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The current guidelines cover recent advances in basic, clinical, and preventive studies of CHB infection and consider the actual situation in China. These guidelines are intended to provide support for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiqiang Wang
- Center for Liver Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking University First Hospital; Department of Infectious and Liver Diseases, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongping Duan
- Center for Difficult and Complicated Liver Diseases and Artificial Liver, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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29
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Cui D, Li W, Jiang D, Wu J, Xie J, Wu Y. Advances in Multi-Omics Applications in HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:754709. [PMID: 34660653 PMCID: PMC8514776 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.754709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) specifically infects liver cells, leading to progressive liver cirrhosis and significantly increasing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The maturity of sequencing technology, improvement in bioinformatics data analysis and progress of omics technologies had improved research efficiency. The occurrence and progression of HCC are affected by multisystem and multilevel pathological changes. With the application of single-omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics in tissue and body fluid samples, and even the novel development of multi-omics analysis on a single-cell platform, HBV-associated HCC changes can be better analyzed. The review summarizes the application of single omics and combined analysis of multi-omics data in HBV-associated HCC and proposes the importance of multi-omics analysis in the type of HCC, which provide the possibility for the precise diagnosis and therapy of HBV-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Cui
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Li
- Center of Research Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, China
| | - Daixi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianguo Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China
| | - Jue Xie
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingping Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China
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30
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Li C, Zhang W, Shi B, Chen G, Zheng Y, An Y, Sun M, Feng Y, Shang Q, Zhang X. Evaluation of the in situ assay for HBV DNA: An observational real-world study in chronic hepatitis B. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e27220. [PMID: 34664859 PMCID: PMC8448054 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000027220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The visualization of intrahepatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by in situ hybridization (ISH) has uncovered some interesting aspects of HBV life cycle at the single-cell level. In the current study, we intend to evaluate the reliability and robustness of this assay in the real-world clinical scenario and its relationship with currently available clinical biomarkers in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.In this cross-sectional study, 94 CHB patients and 10 patients with non-HBV related liver diseases were enrolled. Liver biopsies and routine histopathology analysis were performed. Intrahepatic HBV DNA and viral antigens (HBsAg and HBcAg) were detected by ISH and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. The basic biochemical and virological parameters such as alanine transaminase, serum HBV DNA, and serum HBsAg were measured.The HBV DNA-ISH assay showed 55.8% (53/94 cases) positive rate in CHB patients, no false positive was found in non-HBV related hepatitis. The IHC of HBsAg and HBcAg showed a positive rate of 94.7% (89/94 cases) and 19.5% (17/87 cases), respectively. Quantification of HBV DNA-ISH signal showed a significant correlation with serum HBV DNA (rs = 0.6223, P < .0001). In addition, the staining pattern of HBV DNA in situ in the context of collagen deposition informed the histopathological progression of chronic liver disease.The application of this ISH assay in evaluating intrahepatic viral replication in real-world CHB patients showed favorable performance. It can be a complementation to conventional liver histopathology examination and IHC detection of viral antigens. This methodology provides an intuitive assessment of virological and pathological state of CHB patients, and further supports clinical diagnosis and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Li
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Chinese PLA Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Liver Diseases, The 960th Hospital of Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Bisheng Shi
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Chinese PLA Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Liver Diseases, The 960th Hospital of Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Ye Zheng
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong An
- Chinese PLA Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Liver Diseases, The 960th Hospital of Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Mimi Sun
- Chinese PLA Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Liver Diseases, The 960th Hospital of Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Yanling Feng
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinghua Shang
- Chinese PLA Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Liver Diseases, The 960th Hospital of Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaonan Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia
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31
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Wu Z, He L, Yang L, Fang X, Peng L. Potential Role of NEU1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Study Based on Comprehensive Bioinformatical Analysis. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:651525. [PMID: 34513919 PMCID: PMC8427823 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.651525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Aberrant expression of NEU1 has been identified in many malignancies. Nevertheless, the clinical significance of NEU1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated. Methods: In our study, multiple databases, including ONCOMINE, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, MethSurv, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and Metascape, etc., were utilized to investigate the expression, prognostic value, and function of NEU1 in HCC. Results: ONCOMINE, GEO, and TCGA analyses revealed that NEU1 was more highly expressed in HCC compared to normal tissues. Additionally, the mRNA and protein expression levels of NEU1 were increased in liver cancer cell lines and HCC tissues, respectively. Moreover, a trend toward increased NEU1 expression with advanced stage or grade was found. Furthermore, higher mRNA expression of NEU1 was found to be remarkably correlated with worse survival in HCC patients, and multivariate Cox analysis indicated that high mRNA expression of NEU1 was an independent prognostic factor for poor prognosis of HCC patients. Also, 21 methylated CpGs were found to be significantly related to HCC prognosis. Besides, functional enrichment analyses indicated that high NEU1 expression group had lower levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and T helper cells, etc. than the low NEU1 expression group, and NEU1 may regulate a variety of tumor-related proteins and pathways, including lysosome, spliceosome, mTOR signaling pathway and so on. Conclusion: High expression level of NEU1 was positively correlated with unfavorable prognosis of HCC patients, which may be related to the regulation of cancer-associated pathways and the inhibition of immune function by NEU1. Thus, NEU1 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker and target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhulin Wu
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li He
- Department of Oncology and Haematology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lina Yang
- Department of Oncology and Haematology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Lisheng Peng
- Department of Science and Education, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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32
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Zhu M, Liang Z, Pan J, Zhang X, Xue R, Cao G, Hu X, Gong C. Hepatocellular carcinoma progression mediated by hepatitis B virus-encoded circRNA HBV_circ_1 through interaction with CDK1. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 25:668-682. [PMID: 34589285 PMCID: PMC8463320 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) produces circular RNA (circRNA), whose functions have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, a novel circRNA HBV_circ_1 produced by HBV was identified in HBV-positive HepG2.2.15 cells and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue (HCCT). Microarray analysis of 68 HCCT samples showed that HBV_circ_1 abundance was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues. In addition, survival rate of HBV_circ_1-positive patients was significantly lower compared with HBV_circ_1-negative patients. Transient expression indicated that HBV_circ_1 enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, ectopical HBV_circ_1 expression increased tumor size in vivo. HBV_circ_1 was confirmed to interact with cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) to regulate cell proliferation. These results suggest that HCC progression may be promoted by interaction of HBV_circ_1 with CDK1. Our data not only showed a novel clue to understand carcinogenesis and progress of HBV-related HCC but also provided a new target for the development of therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zi Liang
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jun Pan
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Renyu Xue
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Guangli Cao
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xiaolong Hu
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Chengliang Gong
- School of Biology & Basic Medical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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33
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Zhang WT, Gil-Gómez A, Liu CH, Gao SS, Romero-Gómez M. Diagnostic accuracy of circulating microRNA in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis based on Asian data. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE ENFERMEDADES DIGESTIVAS 2021; 114:280-288. [PMID: 34423645 DOI: 10.17235/reed.2021.8139/2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the main risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a meta-analysis based on Asian data to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of circulating microRNA as a non-invasive biomarker in the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC. METHODS A comprehensive literature search (updated to May 12, 2021) in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was performed to identify eligible studies. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing HBV-related HCC were pooled in this meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed to explore heterogeneity, and Deeks' funnel plot was used to assess publication bias. RESULTS 19 articles including 32 studies were included in the current meta-analysis. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR and AUC were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79 - 0.87), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73 - 0.83), 3.9 (95% CI: 3.0 - 4.9), 0.21 (95% CI: 0.16 - 0.27), 18 (95% CI: 12 - 27) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85 - 0.91), respectively. Subgroup analysis shows that miRNA clusters with a large sample size showed better diagnostic accuracy. Although there is no publication bias, it still has some limitations. CONCLUSIONS Circulating miRNAs could serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker in diagnosing of HBV-related HCC in Asian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ting Zhang
- Digestive Diseases, Hospital Universitario Virgen de Rocío, España
| | | | - Chang-Hai Liu
- Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University
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Czauderna C, Poplawski A, O Rourke CJ, Castven D, Pérez-Aguilar B, Becker D, Heilmann-Heimbach S, Odenthal M, Amer W, Schmiel M, Drebber U, Binder H, Ridder DA, Schindeldecker M, Straub BK, Galle PR, Andersen JB, Thorgeirsson SS, Park YN, Marquardt JU. Epigenetic modifications precede molecular alterations and drive human hepatocarcinogenesis. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e146196. [PMID: 34375307 PMCID: PMC8492348 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.146196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of primary liver cancer is a multi-stage process. Detailed understanding of sequential epigenetic alterations is largely missing. Here, we performed Infinium Human Methylation 450k BeadChips and RNA sequencing analyses for genome-wide methylome and transcriptome profiling of cirrhotic liver (n=7), low- (n=4) and high-grade (n=9) dysplastic lesions, early (n=5) and progressed (n=3) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) synchronously detected in eight HCC patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Integrative analyses of epigenetically driven molecular changes were identified and validated in two independent cohorts comprising 887 HCC. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing was further employed for clonality analyses and indicates multi-clonal origin in the majority of investigated HCC. Alterations in DNA methylation progressively increased from CL to dysplastic lesions and reached a maximum in early HCC. Associated early alterations identified by IPA pathway analyses involved apoptosis, immune regulation and stemness pathways, while late changes centered on cell survival, proliferation and invasion. We further validated putative 23 epi-drivers with concomitant expression changes and associated with overall survival. Functionally, Striatin 4 (STRN4) was demonstrated to be epigenetically regulated and inhibition of STRN4 significantly suppressed tumorigenicity of HCC cell lines.Overall, application of integrative genomic analyses defines epigenetic driver alterations and provides promising targets for novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Czauderna
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alicia Poplawski
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Colm J O Rourke
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Darko Castven
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Diana Becker
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Wafa Amer
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcel Schmiel
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Uta Drebber
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Harald Binder
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dirk A Ridder
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Beate K Straub
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter R Galle
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jesper B Andersen
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Snorri S Thorgeirsson
- Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis (LEC), National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, United States of America
| | - Young Nyun Park
- Department of Pathology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
| | - Jens U Marquardt
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Banerjee I, Fisher PB, Sarkar D. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1): A key driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Adv Cancer Res 2021; 152:329-381. [PMID: 34353442 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
An array of human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), overexpress the oncogene Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1). It is now firmly established that AEG-1 is a key driver of carcinogenesis, and enhanced expression of AEG-1 is a marker of poor prognosis in cancer patients. In-depth studies have revealed that AEG-1 positively regulates different hallmarks of HCC progression including growth and proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, migration, metastasis and resistance to therapeutic intervention. By interacting with a plethora of proteins as well as mRNAs, AEG-1 regulates gene expression at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational levels, and modulates numerous pro-tumorigenic and tumor-suppressive signal transduction pathways. Even though extensive research over the last two decades using various in vitro and in vivo models has established the pivotal role of AEG-1 in HCC, effective targeting of AEG-1 as a therapeutic intervention for HCC is yet to be achieved in the clinic. Targeted delivery of AEG-1 small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) has demonstrated desired therapeutic effects in mouse models of HCC. Peptidomimetic inhibitors based on protein-protein interaction studies has also been developed recently. Continuous unraveling of novel mechanisms in the regulation of HCC by AEG-1 will generate valuable knowledge facilitating development of specific AEG-1 inhibitory strategies. The present review describes the current status of AEG-1 in HCC gleaned from patient-focused and bench-top studies as well as transgenic and knockout mouse models. We also address the challenges that need to be overcome and discuss future perspectives on this exciting molecule to transform it from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil Banerjee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Devanand Sarkar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States.
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36
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Unique Features of Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Pathogenesis and Clinical Significance. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102454. [PMID: 34070067 PMCID: PMC8158142 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Understanding the unique features for HBV-induced HCC can shed new light on the unmet needs in its early diagnosis and effective therapy. During decades of chronic hepatitis B, hepatocytes undergoing repeated damage and regeneration accumulate genetic changes predisposing to HCC development. In addition to traditional mutations in viral and cellular oncogenes, HBV integration into the cell chromosomes is an alternative genetic change contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis. A striking male dominance in HBV-related HCC further highlights an interaction between androgen sex hormone and viral factors, which contributes to the gender difference via stimulating viral replication and activation of oncogenes preferentially in male patients. Meanwhile, a novel circulating tumor biomarker generated by HBV integration shows great potential for the early diagnosis of HCC. These unique HBV-induced hepatocarcinogenic mechanisms provide new insights for the future development of superior diagnosis and treatment strategies. Abstract Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the important risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, accounting for around 50% of cases. Chronic hepatitis B infection generates an inflammatory microenvironment, in which hepatocytes undergoing repeated cycles of damage and regeneration accumulate genetic mutations predisposing them to cancer. A striking male dominance in HBV-related HCC highlights the influence of sex hormones which interact with viral factors to influence carcinogenesis. HBV is also considered an oncogenic virus since its X and surface mutant proteins showed tumorigenic activity in mouse models. The other unique mechanism is the insertional mutagenesis by integration of HBV genome into hepatocyte chromosomes to activate oncogenes. HCC survival largely depends on tumor stages at diagnosis and effective treatment. However, early diagnosis by the conventional protein biomarkers achieves limited success. A new biomarker, the circulating virus–host chimera DNA from HBV integration sites in HCC, provides a liquid biopsy approach for monitoring the tumor load in the majority of HBV–HCC patients. To maximize the efficacy of new immunotherapies or molecular target therapies, it requires better classification of HCC based on the tumor microenvironment and specific carcinogenic pathways. An in-depth study may benefit both the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-related HCC.
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Péneau C, Zucman-Rossi J, Nault JC. Genomics of Viral Hepatitis-Associated Liver Tumors. J Clin Med 2021; 10:1827. [PMID: 33922394 PMCID: PMC8122827 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10091827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-related liver carcinogenesis is one of the main contributors of cancer-related death worldwide mainly due to the impact of chronic hepatitis B and C infections. Three mechanisms have been proposed to explain the oncogenic properties of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: induction of chronic inflammation and cirrhosis, expression of HBV oncogenic proteins, and insertional mutagenesis into the genome of infected hepatocytes. Hepatitis B insertional mutagenesis modifies the function of cancer driver genes and could promote chromosomal instability. In contrast, hepatitis C virus promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence mainly through cirrhosis development whereas the direct oncogenic role of the virus in human remains debated. Finally, adeno associated virus type 2 (AAV2), a defective DNA virus, has been associated with occurrence of HCC harboring insertional mutagenesis of the virus. Since these tumors developed in a non-cirrhotic context and in the absence of a known etiological factor, AAV2 appears to be the direct cause of tumor development in these patients via a mechanism of insertional mutagenesis altering similar oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes targeted by HBV. A better understanding of virus-related oncogenesis will be helpful to develop new preventive strategies and therapies directed against specific alterations observed in virus-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Péneau
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (C.P.); (J.Z.-R.)
- Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (C.P.); (J.Z.-R.)
- Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006 Paris, France
- Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, APHP, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; (C.P.); (J.Z.-R.)
- Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006 Paris, France
- Service d’hépatologie, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, F-93000 Bobigny, France
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Santé Médecine et Biologie Humaine, Université Paris Nord, F-93000 Bobigny, France
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Wang S, Shi H, Liu T, Li M, Zhou S, Qiu X, Wang Z, Hu W, Guo W, Chen X, Guo H, Shi X, Shi J, Zang Y, Cao J, Wu L. Mutation profile and its correlation with clinicopathology in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2021; 10:172-179. [PMID: 33898558 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn.2019.09.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer worldwide. Although many studies have focused on oncogene characteristics, the genomic landscape of Chinese HCC patients has not been fully clarified. Methods A total of 165 HCC patients, including 146 males and 19 females, were enrolled. The median age was 55 years (range, 27-78 years). Corresponding clinical and pathological information was collected for further analysis. A total of 168 tumor tissues from these patients were selected for next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based 450 panel gene sequencing. Genomic alterations including single nucleotide variations (SNV), short and long insertions and deletions (InDels), copy number variations, and gene rearrangements were analyzed. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was measured by an algorithm developed in-house. The top quartile of HCC was classified as TMB high. Results A total of 1,004 genomic alterations were detected from 258 genes in 168 HCC tissues. TMB values were identified in 160 HCC specimens, with a median TMB of 5.4 Muts/Mb (range, 0-28.4 Muts/Mb) and a 75% TMB of 7.7 Muts/Mb. The most commonly mutated genes were TP53, TERT, CTNNB1, AXIN1, RB1, TSC2, CCND1, ARID1A, and FGF19. SNV was the most common mutation type and C:G>T:A and guanine transformation were the most common SNVs. Compared to wild-type patients, the proportion of Edmondson grade III-IV and microvascular invasion was significantly higher in TP53 mutated patients (P<0.05). The proportion of tumors invading the hepatic capsule was significantly higher in TERT mutated patients (P<0.05). The proportion of Edmondson grade I-II, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) <25 µmg/L, and those without a history of hepatitis B was significantly higher in CTNNB1 mutated patients (P<0.05). CTNNB1 mutations were associated with TMB high in HCC patients (P<0.05). Based on correlation analysis, the mutation of TP53 was independently correlated with microvascular invasion (P=0.002, OR =3.096) and Edmondson grade III-IV (P=0.008, OR =2.613). The mutation of TERT was independently correlated with tumor invasion of the liver capsule (P=0.001, OR =3.030), and the mutation of CTNNB1 was independently correlated with AFP (<25 µmg/L) (P=0.009, OR =3.414). Conclusions The most frequently mutated genes of HCC patients in China were TP53, TERT, and CTNNB1, which mainly lead to the occurrence and development of HCC by regulating the P53 pathway, Wnt pathway, and telomere repair pathway. There were more patients with microvascular invasion and Edmondson III-IV grade in TP53 mutated patients and more patients with hepatic capsule invasion in TERT mutated patients, while in CTNNB1 mutated patients, there were more patients with Edmondson I-II grade, AFP <25 µmg/L, and a non-hepatitis B background. Also, the TMB values were significantly higher in CTNNB1 mutated patients than in wild type patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Huasheng Shi
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Manjiang Li
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Sanshun Zhou
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuan Qiu
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zusen Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Weiyu Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Weidong Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Yunjin Zang
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jingyu Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Liqun Wu
- Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Lim HC, Gordan JD. Tumor hepatitis B virus RNA identifies a clinically and molecularly distinct subset of hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008699. [PMID: 33561166 PMCID: PMC7909678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) initiation and is associated with worse outcomes. Many prior studies of HBV-related HCC have not accounted for potential heterogeneity among HBV-related tumors by assessing whether HBV activity is present in tumor tissue. Here, we measured tumor HBV RNA, a proxy for viral activity, and investigated the association between HBV RNA status and several clinicogenomic characteristics. We obtained clinical, mutation, RNA-Seq and survival data for 439 HCC tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium. Tumors were classified as HBV RNA positive if they harbored >1 HBV RNA read per million human reads. We investigated the association between HBV RNA status and nonsynonymous somatic mutations, gene set expression, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score and mutation-specific survival. HBV RNA positive status was associated with higher nonsynonymous mutation rates of multiple genes, including TP53 and CDKN2A, while HBV RNA negative status was associated with higher nonsynonymous BAP1 mutation rate. HBV RNA positive status was also associated with increased transcription of genes involved in multiple DNA damage repair pathways, genes upregulated by MYC and mTORC1, and genes overexpressed in several HCC subclasses associated with a proliferative phenotype. Further, HBV RNA positive status was associated with increased three-biomarker HRD score (22.2 for HBV RNA+ vs. 16.0 for HBV RNA-). Finally, HBV RNA status was associated with multiple mutation-specific survival differences, including decreased survival for HBV RNA positive patients with nonsynonymous KEAP1 mutations compared to those without (hazard ratio 4.26). HCC tumors harboring genomic evidence of HBV activity therefore constitute a distinct HCC subset characterized by specific differences in nonsynonymous mutations, gene set expression, three-biomarker HRD score and mutation-specific survival. Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is most commonly caused by hepatitis B virus infection. Currently, scientists have an incomplete understanding of the genomic basis of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis B virus infection, because prior studies have been limited by imprecision in assessing hepatitis B virus infection status and heterogeneity in hepatitis B virus activity levels in liver tumors. This has limited scientists’ ability to devise new diagnostic and therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we used computational genomics to directly measure hepatitis B virus RNA levels in a large dataset of hepatocellular carcinoma tumors, and found that tumors with measurable hepatitis B virus RNA levels are associated with a specific set of clinical and genomic characteristics. These characteristics have not previously been reported and harbor implications for future clinical and genomics research in hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as computational genomics efforts in other cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huat Chye Lim
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HCL); (JDG)
| | - John D. Gordan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HCL); (JDG)
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Allaire M, El Hajj W, Brichler S, Diallo K, Fanica D, Blaise L, Nkontchou G, Grando V, Arbadi F, Nahon P, Ziol M, Nault JC, Ganne-Carrié N. Prior surveillance and antiviral treatment improve the prognosis of HCC developed in HBV patients in the West. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol 2021; 45:101436. [PMID: 32418851 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2020.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Western countries, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B (HBV) patients without cirrhosis was poorly studied. The aim was to describe the characteristics and outcome of HBV-related HCC according to fibrosis stage. METHOD All patients with chronic HBV infection and HCC discussed in a multidisciplinary tumor board between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively included. RESULTS A total of 152 out of 2,038 HCC patients had underlying HBV infection. HBV viral load>2000IU/ml, positive HBeAg and Hepatitis D coinfection were observed in 41%, 13% and 13% of cases, respectively. HCC was uninodular in 53%, associated with portal thrombosis in 16% and/or metastasis in 9% of cases. 130 patients (86%) had cirrhosis. No difference regarding HCC risk factors and viral characteristics was observed according to fibrosis stage. 5-year survival was 48%(47% on cirrhosis versus 57% without cirrhosis, P=0.26). At HCC diagnosis, 47% and 32% of cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients received an antiviral treatment (AVT), which was associated with less aggressive tumor and better survival (P=0.005). In cirrhosis, screening was associated with a lower tumor burden and patients were more amenable to curative treatment with better outcome (P<0.001). CONCLUSION HBV represents 8% of HCC etiologies without differences of viral characteristics according to fibrosis stage. AVT and surveillance were associated with less aggressive tumors, better access to curative treatment and outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Allaire
- Service d'hépato-gastroentérologie et nutrition, CHU Côte-de-Nacre, Caen, France; Inserm UMR 1149, centre de recherche sur l'inflammation, Paris, France
| | - Weam El Hajj
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Ségolène Brichler
- Service de microbiologie clinique, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Bobigny, France; Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris cité, Bobigny, France; Unité Inserm U955, Créteil, France
| | - Kadiatou Diallo
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Daniela Fanica
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Lorraine Blaise
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Gisèle Nkontchou
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Véronique Grando
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Fatima Arbadi
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France
| | - Pierre Nahon
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France; Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris cité, Bobigny, France; Unité Inserm UMR1162, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Ziol
- Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris cité, Bobigny, France; Unité Inserm UMR1162, Paris, France; Service d'anatomopathologie, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Bondy, France
| | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France; Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris cité, Bobigny, France; Unité Inserm UMR1162, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Ganne-Carrié
- Service d'hépatologie, pôle d'activité cancérologique spécialisée, hôpitaux universitaires Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, site Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy, France; Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris cité, Bobigny, France; Unité Inserm UMR1162, Paris, France.
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Lebossé F, Zoulim F. [Hepatitis B vaccine and liver cancer]. Bull Cancer 2020; 108:90-101. [PMID: 33358507 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) chronic infection contributes to a high risk of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) development. HBV is a strong cancer inducer, due to natural history of infection, virological characteristics and viral DNA integrations events in host genome. Prolonged infection and high viral loads, particularly frequent in patients infected in childhood, are risk factors of HCC development for patients with HBV chronic infection. A HBV vaccine, based on immunization against the surface protein HBs, showed a strong efficacy to prevent chronic HBV infection. The development of universal neonatal vaccination programmes contributed to the decrease of HBV chronic infection incidence in children of high endemic areas. Although HBs antibodies levels diminished years after vaccination, HBV neonatal vaccination programmes led to a lower incidence of chronic HBV infection among young adults. The decrease of HBV chronic infection incidence was associated to a reduction of HCC incidence in children and young adults from areas with a high prevalence of HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Lebossé
- Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, hospices civils de Lyon, service d'hépatologie, Lyon, France; Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
| | - Fabien Zoulim
- Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, hospices civils de Lyon, service d'hépatologie, Lyon, France; Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France; Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Zhang B, Zhou Q, Xie Q, Lin X, Miao W, Wei Z, Zheng T, Pang Z, Liu H, Chen X. SPC25 overexpression promotes tumor proliferation and is prognostic of poor survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 13:2803-2821. [PMID: 33408271 PMCID: PMC7880370 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: The nuclear division cycle 80 (NDC80) complex assures proper chromosome segregation during the cell cycle progression. SPC25 is a crucial component of NDC80, and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been explored recently. This study characterized the differential expression of SPC25 in HCC patients of different races and HBV infection status. Methods: Expression patterns of SPC25 were evaluated in TCGA and Chinese HCC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis was applied to examine the predictive value of SPC25. In vitro and in vivo functional assays were conducted to explore the role of SPC25 in HCC. Bioinformatics methods were applied to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of SPC25. Findings: The mRNA levels of SPC25 were up-regulated in HCC. SPC25 has a significantly higher transcriptional level in Asian patients than Caucasian patients. SPC25 promoted HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo by accelerating the cell cycle. We identified transcription factors, miRNAs, and immune cells that may interact with SPC25. Interpretation: The findings suggest that increased expression of SPC25 is associated with poor prognosis of HCC and enhances the proliferative capacity of HCC cells. SPC25 could serve as a valuable prognostic marker and a novel treatment target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baozhu Zhang
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- Department of Core Facility, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiankun Xie
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaohui Lin
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenqiang Miao
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhaoguang Wei
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Tingting Zheng
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Zuoliang Pang
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Haosheng Liu
- Department of Core Facility, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Core Facility, People's Hospital of Shenzhen Baoan District, The Affiliated Baoan Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong, China
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Wang R, Zang W, Hu B, Deng D, Ling X, Zhou H, Su M, Jiang J. Serum ESPL1 Can Be Used as a Biomarker for Patients With Hepatitis B Virus-Related Liver Cancer: A Chinese Case-Control Study. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820980785. [PMID: 33308056 PMCID: PMC7739072 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820980785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the feasibility of serum extra spindle pole bodies-like 1 (ESPL1) used as a biomarker for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS 131 chronic HBV-infection patients were recruited and divided into HBV S gene integration, non-HBV S gene integration, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC) and HBV-related HCC group, 24 non-HBV-related HCC patients were selected as HCC control group, 30 people without HBV-infection as healthy control group. Serum ESPL1 were detected and compared. RESULTS ESPL1 level of integration group was significantly higher than that of non-integration group (346.7 vs 199.6 ng/ml, P = 0.000) and healthy control group (346.7 vs 41.3 ng/ml, P = 0.000). ESPL1 level of non-integration group was significantly higher than that of healthy control group (199.6 vs 41.3 ng/ml, P = 0.000); ESPL1 levels in chronic HBV-infection related groups were increased in turn according to CHB group (95.8 ng/ml), HBV-related LC group (268.2 ng/ml), HBV-related HCC group (279.9 ng/ml) and integration group (346.7 ng/ml). Except that there was no significant difference in ESPL1 levels between HBV-related LC and HCC group (P = 0.662), pairwise comparisons between other groups showed significant differences (P < 0.05). ESPL1 level of HBV-related HCC group was significantly higher than that of non-HBV-related HCC group (279.9 vs 46.6 ng/ml, P = 0.000), there was no noticeable difference between non-HBV-related HCC and healthy control group (46.6 vs 41.3 ng/ml, P = 0.848). ESPL1 level of HBV-related HCC group after resection was significantly lower than that of before resection (178.4 vs 260.8 ng/ml, P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS Chronic HBV-infection patients with high ESPL1 level may indicate HBV S gene integration and is a high-risk population for HBV-related HCC. Serum ESPL1 can be used as a biomarker for screening HBV-related HCC high-risk population and monitoring recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongming Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Zang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Bobin Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Deli Deng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaozhang Ling
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Huikun Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghua Su
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianning Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
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Preece R, Pavesi A, Gkazi SA, Stegmann KA, Georgiadis C, Tan ZM, Aw JYJ, Maini MK, Bertoletti A, Qasim W. CRISPR-Mediated Base Conversion Allows Discriminatory Depletion of Endogenous T Cell Receptors for Enhanced Synthetic Immunity. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 19:149-161. [PMID: 33102612 PMCID: PMC7549055 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Emerging base editing technology exploits CRISPR RNA-guided DNA modification effects for highly specific C > T conversion, which has been used to efficiently disrupt gene expression. These tools can enhance synthetic T cell immunity by restricting specificity, addressing histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) barriers, and promoting persistence. We report lentiviral delivery of a hepatitis B-virus (HBV)-specific recombinant T cell receptor (rTCR) and a linked CRISPR single-guide RNA for simultaneous disruption of endogenous TCRs (eTCRs) when combined with transient cytosine deamination. Discriminatory depletion of eTCR and coupled expression of rTCR resulted in enrichment of HBV-specific populations from 55% (SEM, ±2.4%) to 95% (SEM, ±0.5%). Intensity of rTCR expression increased 1.8- to 2.9-fold compared to that in cells retaining their competing eTCR, and increased cytokine production and killing of HBV antigen-expressing hepatoma cells in a 3D microfluidic model were exhibited. Molecular signatures confirmed that seamless conversion of C > T (G > A) had created a premature stop codon in TCR beta constant 1/2 loci, with no notable activity at predicted off-target sites. Thus, targeted disruption of eTCR by cytosine deamination and discriminatory enrichment of antigen-specific T cells offers the prospect of enhanced, more specific T cell therapies against HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as other viral and tumor antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Preece
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Andrea Pavesi
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR) 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Soragia Athina Gkazi
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Kerstin A. Stegmann
- UCL Division of Infection and Immunity, The Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6EJ, UK
| | - Christos Georgiadis
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Zhi Ming Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR) 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Jia Ying Joey Aw
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR) 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Mala K. Maini
- UCL Division of Infection and Immunity, The Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6EJ, UK
| | - Antonio Bertoletti
- Program Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network (SigN), Agency of Science Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Waseem Qasim
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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45
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Kong F, Li N, Tu T, Tao Y, Bi Y, Yuan D, Zhang N, Yang X, Kong D, You H, Zheng K, Tang R. Hepatitis B virus core protein promotes the expression of neuraminidase 1 to facilitate hepatocarcinogenesis. J Transl Med 2020; 100:1602-1617. [PMID: 32686743 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-020-0465-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuraminidase 1 (NEU1) has been reported to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the function and associated molecular mechanisms of NEU1 in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC have not been well investigated. In the present study, the expression of NEU1 mediated by HBV and HBV core protein (HBc) was measured in hepatoma cells. The expression of NEU1 protein was detected via immunohistochemical analysis in HBV-associated HCC tissues. The role of NEU1 in the activation of signaling pathways and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the proliferation and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc was assessed. We found that NEU1 was upregulated in HBV-positive hepatoma cells and HBV-related HCC tissues. HBV promoted NEU1 expression at the mRNA and protein level via HBc in hepatoma cells. Mechanistically, HBc was able to enhance the activity of the NEU1 promoter through NF-κB binding sites. In addition, through the increase in NEU1 expression, HBc contributed to activation of downstream signaling pathways and EMT in hepatoma cells. Moreover, NEU1 facilitated the proliferation and migration of hepatoma cells mediated by HBc. Taken together, our findings provide novel insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenesis mediated by HBc and demonstrate that NEU1 plays a vital role in HBc-mediated functional abnormality in HCC. Thus, NEU1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in HBV-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanyun Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Nan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China.,Jiangsu Provincial Xuzhou Pharmaceutical Vocational College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Tao Tu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China.,Shuyang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shuyang, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Yukai Tao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Yanwei Bi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Dongchen Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Delong Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Hongjuan You
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
| | - Kuiyang Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China.,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Basic Medical Sciences Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Renxian Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China. .,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Basic Medical Sciences Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
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46
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Yang M, Yang G, Li F, Ou M, Li C, Chen J, Lin H, Zhang Y, Xue W, Wu Y, Xu Y, Sui W, Dai Y. HBV integrated genomic characterization revealed hepatocyte genomic alterations in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinomas. Mol Clin Oncol 2020; 13:79. [PMID: 33062269 PMCID: PMC7549396 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2020.2149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies that is closely associated with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV integration into host genomes can induce instability and the aberrant expression of human genomic DNA. To directly assess HBV integration breakpoints at whole genome level, four small sequencing libraries were constructed and the HBV integration profiles of four patients with HCC were characterized. In total, the current study identified 11,800,974, 11,216,998, 11,026,546 and 11,607,842 clean reads for patients 1-3 and 4, respectively, of which 92.82, 95.95, 97.21 and 97.29% were properly aligned to the hybrid reference genome. In addition, 220 HBV integration events were detected from the tumor tissues of four patients with HCC and an average of 55 breakpoints per sample was calculated. The results indicated that HBV integration events may be implicated in HCC physiologies and diseases. The results acquired may also provide insight into the pathogenesis of HCC, which may be valuable for future HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Guiqi Yang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Fengyan Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Minglin Ou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China.,Clinical Medical Research Center of The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, P.R. China
| | - Chunhong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China.,College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, P.R. China
| | - Jiejing Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Hua Lin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Wen Xue
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Yan Wu
- Clinical Medical Research Center of The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, P.R. China
| | - Yong Xu
- Clinical Medical Research Center of The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, P.R. China
| | - Weiguo Sui
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China
| | - Yong Dai
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disease Research, Central Laboratory, Nephrology Department of Guilin No. 924 Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi 541002, P.R. China.,Clinical Medical Research Center of The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, P.R. China
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47
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Zhang Y, Zeng F, Han X, Weng J, Gao Y. Lineage tracing: technology tool for exploring the development, regeneration, and disease of the digestive system. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:438. [PMID: 33059752 PMCID: PMC7559019 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01941-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lineage tracing is the most widely used technique to track the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of specific cells in vivo. The currently available gene-targeting technologies have been developing for decades to study organogenesis, tissue injury repairing, and tumor progression by tracing the fates of individual cells. Recently, lineage tracing has expanded the platforms available for disease model establishment, drug screening, cell plasticity research, and personalized medicine development in a molecular and cellular biology perspective. Lineage tracing provides new views for exploring digestive organ development and regeneration and techniques for digestive disease causes and progression. This review focuses on the lineage tracing technology and its application in digestive diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fanhong Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xu Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Weng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yi Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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48
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Zhang L, Fan Y, Wang X, Yang M, Wu X, Huang W, Lan J, Liao L, Huang W, Yuan L, Pan H, Wu Y, Chen L, Guan J. Carbohydrate Sulfotransferase 4 Inhibits the Progression of Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Is a Potential Prognostic Marker in Several Tumors. Front Oncol 2020; 10:554331. [PMID: 33178582 PMCID: PMC7593664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.554331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrate sulfotransferase 4 (CHST4) plays an important role in lymphocyte homing and is abnormally expressed in several cancer types; however, its precise function in tumor development and progression is unknown. Here we confirm that CHST4 is aberrantly expressed in various tumor subtypes. In particular, we found that CHST4 expression was downregulated in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) tumors compared to paired normal tissue. We also showed that CHST4 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro. Clinically, CHST4 was identified as an independent prognostic factor for HBV-HCC patients. We further illuminated the anti-tumor role and mechanism of CHST4 in HBV-HCC by constructing a FENDRR–miR-10b-5p–CHST4 competing endogenous RNA network. We found that downregulation of CHST4 expression may promote HBV expression and regulate ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis to promote malignant behaviors in HBV-HCC. CHST4 may also recruit CD4+ T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils into the tumor microenvironment to inhibit the progression of HBV-HCC. Overall, our findings suggest that CHST4 acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC-HBV and represents a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longshan Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Fan
- Department of Oncology, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaoqing Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mi Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - XiXi Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiqiang Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Lan
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liwei Liao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenqi Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Yuan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hua Pan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longhua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Guan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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49
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Chen S, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Fang M, Zhou J, Li Y, Dai E, Feng Z, Wang H, Yang Z, Li Y, Huang X, Jia J, Li S, Huang C, Tong L, Xiao X, He Y, Duan Y, Zhu S, Gao C. Using Quasispecies Patterns of Hepatitis B Virus to Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Deep Sequencing and Machine Learning. J Infect Dis 2020; 223:1887-1896. [PMID: 33049037 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the main leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. However, it remains uncertain how the reverse-transcriptase (rt) gene contributes to HCC progression. METHODS We enrolled a total of 307 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 237 with HBV-related HCC from 13 medical centers. Sequence features comprised multidimensional attributes of rt nucleic acid and rt/s amino acid sequences. Machine-learning models were used to establish HCC predictive algorithms. Model performances were tested in the training and independent validation cohorts using receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration plots. RESULTS A random forest (RF) model based on combined metrics (10 features) demonstrated the best predictive performances in both cross and independent validation (AUC, 0.96; accuracy, 0.90), irrespective of HBV genotypes and sequencing depth. Moreover, HCC risk scores for individuals obtained from the RF model (AUC, 0.966; 95% confidence interval, .922-.989) outperformed α-fetoprotein (0.713; .632-.784) in distinguishing between patients with HCC and those with CHB. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides evidence for the first time that HBV rt sequences contain vital HBV quasispecies features in predicting HCC. Integrating deep sequencing with feature extraction and machine-learning models benefits the longitudinal surveillance of CHB and HCC risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipeng Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zihan Zhang
- ISTBI and Shanghai Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,School of Computer Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan, China
| | - Erhei Dai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, China
| | - Zhaolei Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zaixing Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongwei Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan, China
| | - Xianzhang Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian'an Jia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, 901 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Anhui, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chenjun Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Tong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yutong He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Duan
- School of Computer Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanfeng Zhu
- ISTBI and Shanghai Key Lab of Intelligent Information Processing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunfang Gao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
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50
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Javanmard D, Karbalaie Niya MH, Khalafkhany D, Najafi M, Ziaee M, Babaei MR, Kiani SJ, Esghaei M, Jazayeri SM, Panahi M, Safarnezhad Tameshkel F, Mehrabi M, Monavari SH, Bokharaei-Salim F. Downregulation of GSK3β and Upregulation of URG7 in Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2020; 20. [DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.100899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 08/30/2023]
Abstract
: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The exact molecular contributors to the development of HBV-related HCC are not yet completely understood. Recent studies demonstrated that the deregulation of the Wnt pathway is highly associated with the development of HCC. Besides, HBV is known to have roles in the deregulation of this pathway. The present study evaluated the molecular aspects of the Wnt pathway in HBV-related HCC in liver tissue samples. Viral characterization was done by identifying the HBx mutations and the assessment of intrahepatic viral load. The expression of Wnt pathway genes was assessed using real-time PCR and methylation-specific PCR. The intrahepatic viral load was significantly higher in tumor samples than in normal tissues (P = 0.0008). Aberrant expression was observed in Wnt-1, Wnt-7a, FZD2, FZD7, β-catenin, URG7, c-Myc, SFRP5, and GSK3β, among which Wnt1, FZD2, SFRP5, Gsk3β, and URG7 were associated with HBV. HBx mutations at positions I88, L116, and I127 + F132 were associated with the decreased expression of GSK3β and overexpression of URG7 and Wnt1. Alterations in the expression level of β-catenin, as well as some mutants of HBx, were correlated with the level of c-Myc. HBV-related HCC seems to be mostly coordinated with epigenetic behaviors of HBx, such a multi-functional peptide with suppressing/trans-activating functions.
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