Molecular aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma caused by hepatitis C virus

ABSTRACT

The hepatitis C virus [HCV] is a small, enveloped, single-stranded positive sense RNA virus with a diameter of about 50 nm belonging to the Hepacivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae. The HCV genome is translated to produce a single protein of around 3011 amino acids. This "polyprotein" is then proteolytically processed by viral and cellular proteases to produce structural [core protein, envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2, ARFP/F protein, p7] and nonstructural [NS2-3 autoprotease, NS3-4A, NS4B, NS5A, NS5B] proteins. Hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] is one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide, with increasing incidence. It is estimated that approximately 300-400 thousands of people in the IRAN and 4 million in the United States are persistently infected. It is important for tumor control to identify the factors that predispose patients to death. A large number of molecular factors have been shown to associate with the invasiveness of HCC, and have potential prognostic significance: