[Molecular mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan is closely associated with the chronic liver diseases of infection with the hepatitis B or C viruses. Analysis of HCC tissues frequently detects loss of heterozygosity at chromosomes 1p, 4, 6q, 8p, 10q, 13q, 16q, 17p, and many genomic and epigenomic abnormalities have been found in p53, beta-catenin, p16CDKI, DNA mismatch repair genes, and others. However, no specific abnormal genetic or epigenetic changes for HCC have been found so far. The development of HCC has been reported in mice transgenic for the hepatitis B virus X gene or the hepatitis C virus core gene, and these viral proteins might play essential roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. Chronic hepatitis and fibrosis due to persistent viral infection might also influence the genomic instability of hepatocytes, leading to accumulation of genomic changes.