title: [Hepatitis B virus-mediated effects on host expression of the proprotein convertase Furin].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the expression of Furin, an important proprotein convertase, in liver cells to provide insights towards its potential as a therapeutic target for improved antiviral efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Furin expression was measured in human liver specimens (infected tissues from patients with chronic HBV hepatitis vs. normal tissues from healthy donors) and in hepatoma cell lines (HBV-infected HepG2.2.15 cells vs. uninfected parental cell lines HepG2) using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (for mRNA), western blotting and immunohistochemistry (for protein).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the uninfected tissues and cells, the HBV-infected tissue and cells showed down-regulated expression of furin at both the mRNA and protein levels. In particular, the HepG2.2.15 cells showed -50% less furin mRNA expression than the HepG2 cells and the difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBV may suppress the host cell's expression of furin, possibly to benefit its survival and replication in the host cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xiao-mou
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D045683:Furin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D043484:Proprotein Convertases / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D045683:Furin