Hepatitis-B x-antigen in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular-carcinoma (review).

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is associated with a high incidence of liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The persistent expression of hepatitis B x antigen (HBxAg) is important to transformation, although the mechanism(s) involved remain to be firmly established. This review presents the functions of HBxAg which may be important to the pathogenesis of HCC.