OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) on microRNA-31 (miR-31) expression in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma using HepG2 hepatoma cells.

METHODSStable HBsAg-overexpressing cell lines were established by transfecting HepG2 cells with an HBsAg-bearing mammalian expression vector, and the clones (designated as HepG2-H2 cells) were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. Effects on expression of miR-31 were determined by measuring the mRNA level by real-time PCR and performing statistical comparisons with levels detected in HepG2-H0 cells (stably transfected with empty vector) and HepG2.2.15 cells (stably transfected with the HBV genome).

RESULTSThe HepG2-H2 HBsAg-overexpressing transfectant cell line was successfully established. The expression level of miR-31 was significantly higher in the HepG2-H0 cells than in the HepG2.2.15 cells (t = 583.8, P less than 0.001). In contrast, the expression level of miR-31 was significantly higher in the HBsAg-overexpressing HepG2-H2 cells than in the HepG2-H0 cells (F = 24.9, P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIntact HBV leads to down-regulation of miR-31 expression and HBsAg overexpression leads to up-regulation of miR-31 expression in hepatocarcinoma cells.

Genetic Vectors ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Transfection ; Virus Replication

Abstract: The emerging infectious diseases have become an important risk factor affecting human public health. Vaccination remains the most critical approach to the prevention and control of such diseases. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, lots of transformational basic innovative vaccine technologies and strategies have been developed. The third-generation vaccine technology represented by mRNA vaccine has gradually become a new approach to the research and development of vaccines. This paper introduces the characteristics of different vaccine technologies in recent years, and summarizes the latest research progress in current vaccine products based on different platforms, so as to provide experience and reference for future research and development of vaccines.