Downregulated long non-coding RNA DREH promotes cell proliferation in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

The hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein has been characterized as an oncogene involved in epigenetic modifications during hepatocarcinogenesis; however, the underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of epigenetic regulator molecules, have also been demonstrated to serve crucial roles in carcinogenesis, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, a human lncRNA DREH was identified, which inhibits cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and acts as a tumor suppressor in HBx-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. The study revealed that the expression of DREH was frequently downregulated in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC tissues in comparison with adjacent non-cancerous hepatic tissues, and was inversely correlated with HBx mRNA expression in HBV-associated HCC. In addition, the levels of DREH were inversely correlated with hepatitis B surface antigen and tumor size in HCC tissues. The forced expression of HBx in liver cell lines resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of DREH. Furthermore, suppression of DREH expression promotes the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the present findings support the role of HBx-downregulated lncRNA DREH in tumor suppression in HBV-associated HCC patients. This contributes to a better understanding of epigenetic aberration of deregulated lncRNAs by HBx and the potential development of lncRNA-based targeted approaches for the treatment of HBV-associated HCC.