Effect of hepatitis B virus X gene integration on expression of zinc finger protein ZBTB20 in chronic hepatitis B patients complicated with hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) X gene integration on expression of zinc finger protein ZBTB20 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients complicated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).@*Methods@#Eighteen CHB patients complicated with HCC who underwent surgical treatment in Taizhou Enze Medical Center Enze Hospital and Taizhou Central Hospital from July 2015 to June 2017 were enrolled. Samples of carcinoma tissue, para-carcinoma tissue and corresponding normal liver tissue were collected from each case. DNA was extracted from three kinds of tissue samples. HBV-Alu-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the integrated HBVX fragments and their bilateral flanking sequences in human genomic DNA. The integrated HBV fragments were determined by PCR products sequencing. Protein was extracted from three kinds of tissue samples.The level of expression of ZBTB20 was detected by protein imprinting. Statistical analysis was performed using t test, analysis of variance, and χ2 test.@*Results@#Among the 18 CHB patients complicated with HCC, integration of HBVX gene was found in 13 carcinoma tissue samples, 16 para-carcinoma tissue samples and 9 corresponding normal liver tissue samples. The difference was statistically significant (χ2=6.353, P=0.037). Of the 18 patients, the protein expressions of ZBTB20 in carcinoma tissue, para-carcinoma tissue and corresponding normal tissue were (50.14±11.25)%, (40.71±7.17)% and (39.06±5.17)%, respectively, which was statistically different (F=9.420, P<0.01). HBVX gene integration was detected at ZBTB20 locus in five patients. The expression levels of ZBTB20 in patients with HBVX gene integration at this locus in carcinoma tissue, para-carcinoma tissue and corresponding, normal liver tissue were all significantly lower than those in patients without HBVX gene integration (carcinoma tissue (37.37±10.30)% vs (55.06±7.06)%, para-carcinoma tissue (32.06±2.61)% vs (44.04±5.24)%, corresponding normal tissue (34.66±5.59)% vs (40.76±4.04)%, t=4.205, 4.821 and 2.589, respectively, all P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Incidence of HBVX integration in para-carcinoma tissue is higher than that in carcinoma tissue in CHB patients complicated with HCC.The expression level of ZBTB20 in carcinoma tissue is higher than that in para-carcinoma tissue. Integration of HBVX gene at ZBTB20 locus may decreases the expression of ZBTB20.