Hepatitis B virus infection: An insight into the clinical connection and molecular interaction between hepatitis B virus and host extrahepatic cancer risk

Yu Min; Xiaoyuan Wei; Xi Xia; Zhigong Wei; Ruidan Li; Jing Jin; Zheran Liu; Xiaolin Hu; Xingchen Peng

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1141956

Hepatitis B virus infection: An insight into the clinical connection and molecular interaction between hepatitis B virus and host extrahepatic cancer risk

Front Immunol. 2023 Mar 1:14:1141956. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1141956. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yu Min¹, Xiaoyuan Wei², Xi Xia³, Zhigong Wei¹, Ruidan Li¹, Jing Jin¹, Zheran Liu¹, Xiaolin Hu⁴, Xingchen Peng¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
² Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
³ Research and Development Department Shanghai ETERN Biopharma Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China.
⁴ West China School of Nursing, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.

Abstract

The evidence for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence is well established. The hepatocyte epithelium carcinogenesis caused by HBV has been investigated and reviewed in depth. Nevertheless, recent findings from preclinical and observational studies suggested that chronic HBV infection is equally important in extrahepatic cancer occurrence and survival, specifically gastrointestinal system-derived cancers. Immune microenvironment changes (immune-suppressive cytokine infiltration), epigenetic modification (N6-methyladenosine), molecular signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt and Wnt), and serum biomarkers such as hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein are potential underlying mechanisms in chronic HBV infection-induced extrahepatic cancers. This narrative review aimed to comprehensively summarize the most recent advances in evaluating the association between chronic HBV infection and extrahepatic cancer risk and explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms in the carcinogenesis induction of extrahepatic cancers in chronic HBV conditions.

Keywords: extrahepatic cancer; hepatitis B virus; immune microenvironment; molecular mechanisms; risk factor.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carcinogenesis
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / pathology
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B*
Hepatitis B, Chronic* / complications
Humans
Liver Neoplasms* / pathology
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases

Grants and funding

The work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFE0206600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82172842 and 81672386), the Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support grant, and Tianfu Laboratory (2022SYSX0064, 2021YFSY0008, 2020YFS0276), West China Nursing Discipline Development Special Fund Project (HXHL21008). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.