The hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-X gene resides upstream of the HBV X gene, and together they form the HBV whole-X gene. Although it has been evident that the HBV whole-X protein is involved in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, its biological role and molecular mechanism remain largely unknown. Methods: In this study, we subcloned the HBV whole-X gene and constructed a HBV whole-X expressing vector. After transfection of the HBV whole-X gene into HL-7702 cells, the profile of the

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... rential cellular protein composition in the cells was analyzed by using twodimensional electrophoresis coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Results: The results showed that 18 major proteins were differentially expressed in the cells transfected with or without the HBV whole-X gene. The expression of these genes was further confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Conclusion: Our findings provide a new insight into the investigation of the pathological role that the HBV whole-X gene plays in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and may lead to the design of novel strategies for the treatment of this disease.