title: Increased Pygo2 expression in liver of patients with hepatitis B virus-related fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been reported that Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway played a key role in liver fibrosis and that Pygo2 was an important mediator in β-catenin induced pathway. However, the role of Pygo2 in liver fibrogenesis was unknown. Our study was to investigate the expression of Pygo2 and its diagnostic value in patients with HBV-related liver fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hundred and sixty-four patients with HBV infection underwent liver biopsy and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (Fibroscan(®) ; Echosens). Liver function was tested by routine biochemical examinations. Liver condition was assessed by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome staining. The expression of Pygo2 in liver tissue was measured by Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively, while the serum levels of Pygo2 were detected by ELISA. The relationship between degree of liver fibrosis and Pygo2 expression was assessed by correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of serum Pygo2, LSM and their combination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA and protein levels of Pygo2 in HBV-infected patients were all higher than in normal persons (P < 0.05 respectively). Moreover, Pygo2 expression increased along with the progression of liver fibrosis (P < 0.05 respectively). The trend of serum Pygo2 agreed with its expression in liver tissue. The combination of serum Pygo2 and LSM had a significantly higher area under the curve than Pygo2 or LSM alone (P < 0.05 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggested that Pygo2 was involved in HBV-induced liver fibrogenesis. Pygo2 is a valuable biomarker for the evaluation of fibrosis in HBV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Anhui Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Chuanlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Anhui Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Chuanwu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D018450:Disease Progression; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C453401:PYGO2 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: HBV; LSM; Pygo2; liver fibrosis