Hepatitis Viruses affect the expression of Endogenous Retrovirus and Tumor Microenvironment in HCC

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a commonly diagnosed cancer with high mortality rates.Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) world-wide. The molecular mechanisms of viral hepatocarcinogenesis are still partially understood. The immune response plays an important role in the progression of HCC. Immunotherapies are becoming an increasingly promising tool for treating cancers. Advancements in scRNA-seq (single-cell RNA sequencing) have allowed us to identify new subsets in the immune microenvironment of HCC. Yet, distribution of these new cell types and their potential prognostic value in bulk samples from large cohorts remained unclear. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing analysis to delineate the immune landscape and tumor heterogeneity in a cohort of patients with hepatitis viruses(HBV,HCV,HDV) associated human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).We also re-analyze the bulk RNA-seq data for the cohort to include the expression values of human Endogenous Retrovirus (hERV). And found correlations with hepatitis viruses status.