Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33402415›Full record

ArticleGut2021

Whole exome HBV DNA integration is independent of the intrahepatic HBV reservoir in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

Valentina Svicher, Romina Salpini, Lorenzo Piermatteo, Luca Carioti, Arianna Battisti, Luna Colagrossi, Rossana Scutari, Matteo Surdo, Valeria Cacciafesta, Andrea Nuccitelli and 5 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Gut, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 67 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Indeterminate Phase/Grey Zone of Chronic Hepatitis B: Clinical Features, Outcomes and Molecular Insights.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
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  9. Navigating the Hepatic Immune Landscape With Fine Needle Aspiration of the Liver-An Emerging Technique.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. HBV-Induced Carcinogenesis: Mechanisms, Correlation With Viral Suppression, and Implications for Treatment.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Valentina Svicher *Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Romina Salpini *Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Lorenzo PiermatteoDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Luca CariotiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Arianna BattistiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Luna ColagrossiDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Rossana ScutariDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Matteo SurdoMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Eurofins GENOMA, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Valeria CacciafestaMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Eurofins GENOMA, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Andrea NuccitelliMolecular Genetics Laboratory, Eurofins GENOMA, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Navjyot HansiBarts Liver Cente, Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Francesca Ceccherini SilbersteinDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Lazio, Italy.
Carlo Federico PernoDepartment of Oncology and Haematooncology, University of Milan, Milano, Lombardia, Italy.
Upkar S GillBarts Liver Cente, Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Patrick T F KennedyBarts Liver Cente, Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK p.kennedy@qmul.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-9201-0094
University of Rome Tor Vergata · ITQueen Mary University of London · GBUniversity of Milan · IT

Funding

MRF_ MRF-044-0004-F-GILL-C0823Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe involvement of HBV DNA integration in promoting hepatocarcinogenesis and the extent to which the intrahepatic HBV reservoir modulates liver disease progression remains poorly understood. We examined the intrahepatic HBV reservoir, the occurrence of HBV DNA integration and its impact on the hepatocyte transcriptome in hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

designLiver tissue from 84 HBeAg-negative patients with CHB with low (n=12), moderate (n=25) and high (n=47) serum HBV DNA was analysed. Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) were evaluated by quantitative PCR, whole exome and transcriptome sequencing was performed by Illumina, and the burden of HBV DNA integrations was evaluated by digital droplet PCR.

resultsPatients with low and moderate serum HBV DNA displayed comparable intrahepatic cccDNA and pgRNA, significantly lower than in patients with high HBV DNA, while hepatitis B core-related antigen correlated strongly with the intrahepatic HBV reservoir, reflecting cccDNA quantity. Whole exome integration was detected in a significant number of patients (55.6%, 14.3% and 25% in high, moderate and low viraemic patients, respectively), at a frequency ranging from 0.5 to 157 integrations/1000 hepatocytes. Hepatitis B surface antigen >5000 IU/mL predicted integration within the exome and these integrations localised in genes involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, regulation of lipid/drug metabolism and antiviral/inflammatory responses. Transcript levels of specific genes, including the proto-oncogene hRAS, were higher in patients with HBV DNA integration, supporting an underlying oncogenic risk in patients with low-level to moderate-level viraemia.

conclusionsHBV DNA integration occurs across all HBeAg-negative patients with CHB, including those with a limited HBV reservoir; localising in genes involved in carcinogenesis and altering the hepatocyte transcriptome.

Indexed as

AdultBiomarkersDNA, ViralExome SequencingFemaleGenotypeHepatitis B, ChronicHepatitis B e AntigensHepatitis B virusHepatocytesHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMiddle AgedTranscriptomeViremiaBiomarkersDNA, ViralHepatitis B e Antigenschronic viral hepatitishepatitis Bhepatocellular carcinomaliver biopsy

Identifiers

PMID33402415
PMCPMC8588301
OpenAlexW3116953437

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.