Project description:The natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection could be divided in different phases by transaminase and HBV replication levels. However, it remains unknown how the intrahepatic transcriptomes in patients are correlated with the clinical phases. Here, we determined the intrahepatic transcriptomes of chronic hepatitis B patients and examined the role of specific groups of genes, including immune-related genes, in the control of hepatitis B virus infection.
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an enveloped, coated, non-cytopathic and hepatotropic partially double-stranded DNA virus in the family Hepadnaviridae genus Orthohepadnavirus. Despite significant progress in the availability of safe vaccines and antiviral therapies against HBV, it still affects approximately 257 million people worldwide and is responsible for about 887,000 deaths per year around the world [4]. HBV infection, which are associated with acute and chronic liver failure responses to viruses attacked the liver, can result in inactive carrier state, chronic hepatitis, or fulminant hepatitis and put them at high risk to develop advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular cancer. Many viral factors, which could affect the disparity of clinical outcomes or disease prognosis during chronic HBV infection, have been reported in previous studies; among them, the viral genotype, as well as HBV mutations ascribing the virus to a certain phenotype, was reported to be the most important factor influencing viral pathogenesis, including the change of host immune recognition, the enhanced virulence with increased HBV replication and the facilitation of cell attachment or penetration.
Project description:The natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection could be divided in different phases by transaminase and HBV replication levels. However, it remains unknown how the intrahepatic transcriptomes in patients are correlated with the clinical phases. Here, we determined the intrahepatic transcriptomes of chronic hepatitis B patients and examined the role of specific groups of genes, including immune-related genes, in the control of hepatitis B virus infection. The transcriptomes of 83 chronic hepatitis B patients (22 immune tolerant, 50 immune clearance, and 11 inactive carrier state) were analyzed by performing microarray analysis of liver biopsies.KEGG pathway analysis showed that immune response genes and interferon-stimulated genes were up-regulated in the immune clearance phase. Although immune tolerant patients and inactive state carriers had significantly different serum viral loads, the hepatic transcriptomes of the two groups were largely similar and only significantly differed in the expression of 109 genes (p < 0.01). Thus, we hypothesized that some of the 109 genes may be involved in HBV control and identified genes of interest by performing systematic screening using specific siRNAs. We showed that silencing candidate genes such as EVA1A resulted in significantly increased viral replication. Conversely, overexpression of candidate genes suppressed virus replication. Conclusions: The immune related pathways were up-regulated in the immune clearance phase but not in the inactive carrier phase. A number of host genes unrelated to immune pathways were expressed in the inactive carrier phase and these may participate in the control of hepatitis B virus replication, resulting in low viral replication. This dataset is part of the TransQST collection.
Project description:Background: The pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-caused hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is complex and not fully understood. In clinical, the effective prevention and treatment of HCC rely on the accurate diagnosis. We developed a biology network approach to investigate the potential mechanisms and biomarkers of each stages from HBV infection to HCC. Methods Global gene profiling of healthy individuals (HC), HBV carriers (HBVC), chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC) and HCC was analyzed by gene array. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were found by RVM (Random variance model) corrective ANOVA and STC (Series Test of Cluster) analysis.
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection could cause hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV-mediated pathogenesis is only partially understood, but X protein (HBx) reportedly possesses oncogenic potential. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles with diverse functions released by various cells including hepatocytes, and HBV harnesses cellular exosome biogenesis and export machineries for virion morphogenesis and secretion. Therefore, HBV infection might cause changes in exosome contents with functional implications for both virus and host. In this project, exosome protein content changes induced by HBV and HBx were quantitatively analyzed by SILAC/LC-MS/MS. Exosomes prepared from SILAC-labeled hepatoma cell line Huh-7 transfected with HBx, wildtype or HBx-null HBV replicon plasmids were analyzed by LC-MS/MS.
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can integrate into the chromosomes of infected hepatocytes, contributing to the production of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and to hepatocarcinogenesis. We performed spatial transcriptomics to investigate the intrahepatic cell heterogeneity and the spatial distribution of transcriptionally active HBV integration events in different phases of chronic HBV infection. Our analysis revealed that transcriptionally active HBV integration occurred in chronically HBV-infected patients in different phases, including those patients with HBsAg loss, and antiviral treatment was associated with a decreased number and extent of viral integrations.
Project description:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persists by depositing a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus of infected cells that cannot be targeted by available antivirals. Cytokine treatments can diminish HBV cccDNA via APOBEC3-mediated deamination. Here we show that overexpression of APOBEC3A alone, however, was not sufficient to reduce cccDNA in HBV-infected cells. This required addition of interferon indicating that cccDNA degradation requires an additional, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG). Transcriptome analyses identified ISG20 as the only type I and II interferon-induced, nucleus-resident protein with annotated nuclease activity. ISG20 expression was detected in human livers in acute, self-limiting but not in chronic hepatitis B. ISG20 depletion abolished the interferon-induced loss of cccDNA, and co-expression of ISG20 and APOBEC3A was sufficient to diminish cccDNA. In conclusion, non-cytolytic HBV cccDNA decline requires induction of a deaminase and nuclease. Our findings highlight that ISGs cooperate for their antiviral function and this cooperativity may be explored for therapeutic targeting.
Project description:Background and Aims: Chronic HBV infection is a major cause of liver disease and cancer. Virus-host interactions and the pathogenesis of virus-induced liver disease are only partially understood. Hypoxia has been shown to play a major role in disease biology and carcinogenesis and HBV replicates a naturally hypoxic organ. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of liver hypoxia for HBV infection. Methods: Using cell culture, animal models and human tissues we investigated the impact of hyproxia on the HBV life cycle. Results: Establishing liver cell-based model systems that mimic hepatic oxygen, we uncover a major role of hypoxia in regulating HBV transcription. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) perturb HBV replication and expression in cell-based and animal models. Conservation of hypoxia responsive elements in the viral basal core promoter uncover an essential role for HIFs in regulating the hepadnaviridae family of hepatotropic viruses. Conclusions: Identifying a role for this conserved oxygen sensors in regulating HBV replication provides a new understanding of virus-host interactions and liver disease biology, improve state-of-the-art HBV model systems and unravels new opportunities for therapeutic targeting of chronic hepatitis B.