Project description:Background/Aims: Recurrence-free survival (RFS) following curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in subjects with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly variable. Traditional clinico-pathological endpoints are recognized as weak predictors of RFS. It has been suggested that gene expression profiling of HCC and nontumoral liver tissue may improve prediction of RFS, aid in understanding of the underlying liver disease, and guide individualized therapy. The goal of this study was to create a gene expression predictor of HCC recurrence in subjects with HCV. Methods: Frozen samples of the tumors and nontumoral liver were obtained from 47 subjects with HCV-associated HCC. Additional nontumoral liver samples were obtained from HCV-free subjects with metastatic liver tumors. Gene expression profiling data was used to determine the molecular signature of HCV-associated HCC and to develop a predictor of RFS. Results: The molecular profile of the HCV-associated HCC confirmed central roles for MYC and TGF-beta1 in liver tumor development. Gene expression in tumors was found to have poor predictive power with regards to RFS, but analysis of nontumoral tissues yielded a strong predictor for RFS in late-recurring (>1 year) subjects. Importantly, nontumoral tissue-derived gene expression predictor of RFS was highly significant in both univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analyses. Conclusions: Microarray analysis of the nontumoral tissues from subjects with HCV-associated HCC delivers novel molecular signatures of RFS, especially among the late-recurrence subjects. The gene expression signature of the predictor gives important insights into the pathobiology of HCC recurrence and used in design of the individualized therapy.
Project description:Background/Aims: Recurrence-free survival (RFS) following curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in subjects with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is highly variable. Traditional clinico-pathological endpoints are recognized as weak predictors of RFS. It has been suggested that gene expression profiling of HCC and nontumoral liver tissue may improve prediction of RFS, aid in understanding of the underlying liver disease, and guide individualized therapy. The goal of this study was to create a gene expression predictor of HCC recurrence in subjects with HCV. Methods: Frozen samples of the tumors and nontumoral liver were obtained from 47 subjects with HCV-associated HCC. Additional nontumoral liver samples were obtained from HCV-free subjects with metastatic liver tumors. Gene expression profiling data was used to determine the molecular signature of HCV-associated HCC and to develop a predictor of RFS. Results: The molecular profile of the HCV-associated HCC confirmed central roles for MYC and TGF-beta1 in liver tumor development. Gene expression in tumors was found to have poor predictive power with regards to RFS, but analysis of nontumoral tissues yielded a strong predictor for RFS in late-recurring (>1 year) subjects. Importantly, nontumoral tissue-derived gene expression predictor of RFS was highly significant in both univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analyses. Conclusions: Microarray analysis of the nontumoral tissues from subjects with HCV-associated HCC delivers novel molecular signatures of RFS, especially among the late-recurrence subjects. The gene expression signature of the predictor gives important insights into the pathobiology of HCC recurrence and used in design of the individualized therapy. 43 tumor (JT) and 44 non-tumor (JNT) liver tissues surgically resected from patients with HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma; 8 non-tumor liver tissues (control samples, JC) surgically resected from HCV- or HBV-free patients with metastatic liver tumor. Inter-batch normalization was carried out using Distance Weighted Discrimination procedure. The supplementary file 'GSE17856_Readme.txt' contains a description of the replicates used for normalization. The 'GSE17856_US14702406_2514850*' files are the raw data files for the replicates.
Project description:Background: Several studies have investigated the association of miRNAs with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the data are not univocal. Methods: We performed a microarray study of miRNAs in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated HCC and other liver diseases and healthy conditions. Results and Conclusions: The simultaneous comparison of different liver diseases and normal livers allowed the identification of 18 miRNAs exclusively expressed in HCV-associated HCC, with sensitivity and specificity values of diagnostic-grade. A total number of 76 liver specimens obtained from 43 patients were analyzed: 26 liver specimens obtained from 10 patients with HCV-associated HCC, including 9 specimens from the tumor area (HCC) and 17 specimens from the surrounding non-tumorous tissue affected by cirrhosis (HCC-CIR); 18 specimens from 10 patients with HCV-associated cirrhosis without HCC (CIR); 13 specimens from 4 patients with HBV-associated acute liver failure (ALF); 12 specimens from 12 liver donors (LD); and 7 from normal liver of 7 subjects who underwent hepatic resection for liver angioma (NL).
Project description:We applied small RNA Solexa sequencing technology to identify microRNA expression in human liver samples from surgically removed liver tissues including three normal liver tissues (distal normal liver tissue of liver hemangioma), an hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected liver, a severe chronic hepatitis B liver, two HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), an hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC, and an HCC without HBV or HCV infection. All samples were collected with the informed consent of the patients and the experiments were approved by the ethics committee of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. We investigated the miRNome in human normal liver and suggested some deregulated abundantly expressed microRNAs in HCC. center_name: National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Project description:We applied small RNA Solexa sequencing technology to identify microRNA expression in human liver samples from surgically removed liver tissues including three normal liver tissues (distal normal liver tissue of liver hemangioma), an hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected liver, a severe chronic hepatitis B liver, two HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), an hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC, and an HCC without HBV or HCV infection. All samples were collected with the informed consent of the patients and the experiments were approved by the ethics committee of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. We investigated the miRNome in human normal liver and suggested some deregulated abundantly expressed microRNAs in HCC. center_name: National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. Examination of miRNome in human liver samples from surgically removed liver tissues including three normal liver tissues (distal normal liver tissue of liver hemangioma), an hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected liver tissue, a severe chronic hepatitis B liver tissue, an HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and adjacent liver tissues of different regions,an HBV-related HCC tissue and adjacent liver tissue, an hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC tissue and adjacent liver tissue, and an HCC without HBV or HCV infection and adjacent liver tissue. All 15 human liver tissue samples.
Project description:Purpose: This study unravel the mechanisms that link viral infection and cancer Methods:Human HCC cell line and HCC liver FFPE samples from HCC patients from three etiology groups- HBV, HCV infection, or neither were taken to explore their genomic DNA in two aspects: The HCC genomic mutations within the exons of 224 candidate genes, frequently mutated in HCC, using SureSelect™ Target Enrichment System kit and the transient response of liver cells to HCV infection, in genome wide histone modifications and gene expression, as demonstrated by ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq. Results:Mutational signature was explored by high-resolution targeted sequencing that detected low-frequency passenger mutations in 64 HCC samples from three etiology groups – HBV, HCV, or other. We identified novel distinct etiology-dependent regional mutations signatures. To explore the link between genomic signature and genome wide chromatin organization we studied the epigenetic changes occur following HCV infection. We demonstrated that HCV infection induces epigenetic changes that persist as "epigenetic signature" following virus eradication and reprogram host gene expression. High mutation rate associated with HCV etiology correlated with HCV-induced changes in epigenetic markers leading to closed chromatin. Conclusions:We present a new link between cancer causing mutagenesis, and increase in liver cancer predisposition in chronic HCV-infected individuals. The sequential events begin with HCV-specific epigenetic signature that in turn dictates a unique HCV-specific somatic mutational profile in HCC
Project description:Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced chronic liver disease is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC development following chronic HCV infection remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cellular homeostasis within the liver and deregulation of the miRNome has been associated with liver disease including HCC. While host miRNAs are essential for HCV replication, viral infection in turn appears to induce alterations of intrahepatic miRNA networks. Although the cross-talk between HCV and liver cell miRNAs most likely contributes to liver disease pathogenesis, the functional involvement of miRNAs in HCV-driven hepatocyte injury and HCC remains elusive. Here, we combined a hepatocyte-like based model system, high-throughput small RNA-sequencing, computational analysis and functional studies to investigate HCV-miRNA interactions that may contribute to liver disease and HCC. Profiling analyses indicated that HCV infection differentially regulated the expression of 72 miRNAs by at least two-fold including miRNAs that were previously described to target genes associated with inflammation, fibrosis and cancer development. Further investigation demonstrated that miR-146a-5p was consistently increased in HCV-infected hepatocyte-like cells and primary human hepatocytes as well as in liver tissues from HCV-infected patients. Genome-wide microarray and computational analyses indicated that miR-146a-5p over-expression is related to liver disease and HCC development. Furthermore, we showed that miR-146a-5p positively impacts on late steps of the viral replication cycle thereby increasing HCV infection. Collectively, our data indicate that the HCV-induced increase in miR-146a-5p expression both promotes viral infection and is relevant for pathogenesis of liver disease.
Project description:Purpose: This study unravel the mechanisms that link viral infection and cancer Methods:Human HCC cell line and HCC liver FFPE samples from HCC patients from three etiology groups- HBV, HCV infection, or neither were taken to explore their genomic DNA in two aspects: The HCC genomic mutations within the exons of 224 candidate genes, frequently mutated in HCC, using SureSelect™ Target Enrichment System kit and the transient response of liver cells to HCV infection, in genome wide histone modifications and gene expression, as demonstrated by ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq. Results:Mutational signature was explored by high-resolution targeted sequencing that detected low-frequency passenger mutations in 64 HCC samples from three etiology groups – HBV, HCV, or other. We identified novel distinct etiology-dependent regional mutations signatures. To explore the link between genomic signature and genome wide chromatin organization we studied the epigenetic changes occur following HCV infection. We demonstrated that HCV infection induces epigenetic changes that persist as "epigenetic signature" following virus eradication and reprogram host gene expression. High mutation rate associated with HCV etiology correlated with HCV-induced changes in epigenetic markers leading to closed chromatin. Conclusions:We present a new link between cancer causing mutagenesis, and increase in liver cancer predisposition in chronic HCV-infected individuals. The sequential events begin with HCV-specific epigenetic signature that in turn dictates a unique HCV-specific somatic mutational profile in HCC