title: Characterization of gene expression profiles in HBV-related liver fibrosis patients and identification of ITGBL1 as a key regulator of fibrogenesis.
abstract: Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of liver fibrosis (LF), the mechanisms underlying liver fibrotic progression remain unclear. Here, we investigated the gene expression profiles of HBV-related LF patients. Whole genome expression arrays were used to detect gene expression in liver biopsy samples from chronically HBV infected patients. Through integrative data analysis, we identified several pathways and key genes involved in the initiation and exacerbation of liver fibrosis. Weight gene co-expression analysis revealed that integrin subunit β-like 1 (ITGBL1) was a key regulator of fibrogenesis. Functional experiments demonstrated that ITGBL1 was an upstream regulator of LF via interactions with transforming growth factor β1. In summary, we investigated the gene expression profiles of HBV-related LF patients and identified a key regulator ITGBL1. Our findings provide a foundation for future studies of gene functions and promote the development of novel antifibrotic therapies.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Mingjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Jiming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors.forename: Zhanqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Lungen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Demin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Donghua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Translational Medicine Research Center, Ruijin Hospital North, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 201821, China.
authors.forename: Peizhan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors.forename: Xiaonan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Medicine Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Zhenghong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jinyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.|Translational Medicine Research Center, Ruijin Hospital North, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 201821, China.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D063990:Gene Ontology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C510451:DCDC2 protein, human; C403306:EHF protein, human; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; C000602818:ITGBL1 protein, human; D019012:Integrin beta1; D008222:Lymphokines; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C427493:PDGFD protein, human; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1