title: Hepatoepigenetic Alterations in Viral and Nonviral-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of tumour-related deaths worldwide. Extensive evidence endorses that HCC is a multifactorial disease characterised by hepatic cirrhosis mostly associated with chronic inflammation and hepatitis B/C viral infections. Interaction of viral products with the host cell machinery may lead to increased frequency of genetic and epigenetic aberrations that cause harmful alterations in gene transcription. This may provide a progressive selective advantage for neoplastic transformation of hepatocytes associated with phenotypic heterogeneity of intratumour HCC cells, thus posing even more challenges in HCC treatment development. Epigenetic aberrations involving DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding miRNA dysregulation have been shown to be intimately linked with and play a critical role in tumour initiation, progression, and metastases. The current review focuses on the aberrant hepatoepigenetics events that play important roles in hepatocarcinogenesis and their utilities in the development of HCC therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology and Liver Research, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory 7925, Western Cape, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mankgopo M
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7975-5462
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kgatle
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology and Liver Research, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory 7925, Western Cape, South Africa; MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Mashiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Setshedi
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology and Liver Research, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory 7925, Western Cape, South Africa.
authors.forename: Henry N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Hairwadzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology