title: [Hepatitis B virus X protein promotes insulin-like growth factor II gene expression by inducing hypomethylation of the P3 promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the involvement of hepatitis B X protein (HBx) in promoter 3 (P3)-driven mRNA overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor II gene (IGF-II) and investigate the underlying epigenetic mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of P3 and HBx mRNA and status of P3 methylation were analyzed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples, with and without hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and bisulfite sequencing. In addition, the levels of P3 mRNA and P3 methylation were examined in HepG2 cells stably overexpressing HBx (HepG2-HBx). Finally, P3 promoter-luciferase constructs were cotransfected into HepG2 cells along with an HBx-expressing plasmid, and the effects of HBx on transcriptional activity and methylation of P3 were analyzed. Statistical analyses of the data were conducted by chi square test, Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, Marn-Whitney U test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HBV-positive HCC specimens had significantly higher levels of P3 mRNA than the HBV-negative HCC specimens (-9.59 ± 3.22 vs. -12.97 ± 3.08 delta CT; P=0.006) but significantly lower levels of P3 methylation (mean values for the 17 CpG sites (36.9% ± 15.5% vs. 52.1% ± 19.1%; P=0.025). The P3 transcript abundance was positively correlated with the level of HBx expression and negatively correlated with the level of P3 methylation. The epigenetic results from experiments with the HepG2-HBx cells were similar. Transfection of HBx significantly decreased P3 methylation level and increased its activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBx expression may promote IGF-II expression by inducing hypomethylation of its P3 promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Shaohui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Shaohua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shenglan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiangwu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hongke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Mingrong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II