Altered Levels of Cytochrome P450 Genes in Hepatitis B or C Virus-infected Liver Identified by Oligonucleotide Microarray

Abstract

Background: Molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be clarified. Many studies with DNA chip technology have revealed altered levels of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) family genes in human HCC. However, little is known about their alterations in hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected livers. Materials and Methods: We here used high-density oligonucleotide arrays to evaluate alterations of CYP genes in five of each HBV- or HCV-infected livers in comparison with six normal livers. We extracted the data of 32 CYP genes from those of 12600 genes. Results: Among these 32 CYPs, expression levels of four genes were insignificant. The expressions of CYP1B1 and CYP3A7 were up-regulated, whereas the expressions of 12 other CYPs, including CYP2A6, CYP2A7 and CYP2C19, were down-regulated in HBV- and/or HCV-infected livers compared with normal livers. Conclusion: These data will allow us to better understand the roles of CYPs in the pathogenesis of HBV- and HCV-related HCCs.