Hepatitis B virus X protein increases microRNA‑21 expression and accelerates the development of hepatoma via the phosphatase and tensin homolog/phosphoinositide 3‑kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway.
Dramatically impaired PTEN protein expression in HCC patients with family aggregation resulting from hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis was correlated with OR and OS, and impaired PTEN expression was an independent risk factor for prognosis after radical surgery.
Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations of PTEN expression and activity in hepatocytes are common and recurrent molecular events associated with liver disorders of various etiologies including obesity, the metabolic syndrome, hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus infection and abusive alcohol consumption.
Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PTEN potently modulate HBx-mediated signaling and is a viable target in therapeutic approaches to inhibit the formation of HCC caused by HBV infections.