[X protein variations of genotype B and C hepatitis B virus isolated from the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma].
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: X protein was one of the most important pathogens of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and was crucial in the carcinogenesis of HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It was demonstrated that the infection of genotype B or C HBV would result in different clinical manifestations and pathological characteristics in HCC patients, however, it was under elucidation whether these differences related to different genotypes of HBV X protein. This study was designed to investigate the amino acid differentiations of X proteins in standard genotype B or C HBV strains and the variations in HBV isolated from the HCC patients, and elucidate preliminarily the relationship between the genotype of HBV and carcinogenesis of HCC. METHODS: HBV X genes from the serum of twenty-two HBsAg positive HCC patients were amplified, cloned and sequenced. Genotyping of the X gene was carried out by Vector NTI6.0 software and the amino acid alignment among the standard and HCC originated X protein were done by DNAMAN software. RESULTS: Twenty-two HBV X genes were obtained and all of them could be categorized into genotype B or C. Besides of 14 amino acid differentiations within X protein between standard B and C HBV strains, HCC originated X protein of B and C genotype showed 4 consensus amino acid variations, and genotype C X protein showed additional 6 genotype-specific variations. All these differentiated and varied amino acids were located in the B, T cell epitopes and transactive or related regulatory regions. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to amino acid differentiations, X protein of genotype B or C HBV also showed genotype-specific variations in HCC patients. Amino acid differentiations and variations may result in the different immunocompetence and transactivation capacity between X proteins of genotype B and C.