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Review
. 2024 Jul 15;19(1):31.
doi: 10.1186/s13027-024-00593-4.

Understanding lactate in the development of Hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Sheida Behzadi Sheikhrobat  1 , Shahab Mahmoudvand  2   3 , Salva Kazemipour-Khabbazi  4 , Zahra Ramezannia  3 , Hossein Bannazadeh Baghi  5   6   7 , Somayeh Shokri  8   9
Affiliations
Review

Understanding lactate in the development of Hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Sheida Behzadi Sheikhrobat et al. Infect Agent Cancer. .

Abstract

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic virus that can establish a persistent and chronic infection in humans. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is associated with an increased risk of hepatic decompensation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lactate level, as the end product of glycolysis, plays a substantial role in metabolism beyond energy production. Emerging studies indicate that lactate is linked to patient mortality rates, and HBV increases overall glucose consumption and lactate production in hepatocytes. Excessive lactate plays a role in regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune cell function, autophagy, and epigenetic reprogramming. The purpose of this review is to gather and summarize the existing knowledge of the lactate's functions in the dysregulation of the immune system, which can play a crucial role in the development of HBV-related HCC. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that lactate with intriguing functions can be considered an immunomodulatory metabolite in immunotherapy.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Immune System; Lactate.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Hepatitis B virus utilizes HBx and HBsAg to produce lactate. 1A: pathway of HBsAg effect; 1B: pathway of HBx effect
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The role of HBV in the inhibition of RLR signaling through the HK and lactate. 1 A: The usual pathway of the host innate immune response; 1B: Suppression of the RLR signaling by HBV
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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