Blood-Based Biomarkers in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma,Including the Viral Genome and Glycosylated Proteins |
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Authors: | Sanae Hayashi Katsuya Nagaoka Yasuhito Tanaka |
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Affiliation: | Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan; (S.H.); (K.N.) |
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Abstract: | Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and is a global public health issue. High performance biomarkers can aid the early detection of HCC development in HBV-infected individuals. In addition, advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of HBV infection and in clinical laboratory techniques have enabled the establishment of disease-specific tests, prediction of the progression of liver diseases, including HCC, and auxiliary diagnosis of HCC, using blood-based methods instead of biopsies of liver or HCC tissues. Viral factors such as the HBV genotype, HBV genetic mutations, HBV DNA, and HBV-related antigens, as well as host factors, such as tumor-associated proteins and post-translational modifications, especially glycosylated proteins, can be blood-based, disease-specific biomarkers for HCC development in HBV-infected patients. In this review, we describe the clinical applications of viral biomarkers, including the HBV genome and glycosylated proteins, for patients at a risk of HBV-related HCC, based on their molecular mechanisms. In addition, we introduce promising biomarker candidates for practical use, including colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), extracellular vesicles, and cell-free, circulating tumor DNA. The clinical use of such surrogate markers may lead to a better understanding of the risk of disease progression and early detection of HCC in HBV-infected patients, thereby improving their prognosis. |
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Keywords: | hepatitis B virus (HBV) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HBV genotype HBV genetic mutations hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) alpha fetoprotein-L3 (AFP-L3) Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) |
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