Expression of heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, GRP78, GRP94) in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinomas and dysplastic nodules.

Aim: Expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) is frequently up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which evolves from dysplastic nodule (DN) and early HCC to advanced HCC. However, little is known about the differential expression of HSPs in multistep hepatocarcinogenesis. It was the purpose of this study to monitor the expression of HSPs in multistep hepatocarcinogenesis and to evaluate their prognostic significance in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC.

Calcium ions affect the hepatitis B virus core assembly.

Previous report showed that cytosolic Ca2+ induced by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) promotes HBV replication. In this study, in vitro experiments showed that (i) HBV core assembly in vitro was promoted by Ca2+ through the sucrose density gradient and the analytical ultracentrifuge analysis. Also, (ii) transmission electron microscope analysis demonstrated these assembled HBV core particles were the capsids.