Jiang, Jieying. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-186). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.II / ABBREVIATIONS --- p.III / ABSTRACT OF THESIS ENTITLED: --- p.VI / 摘要 --- p.IX / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Individual variations of blood sex steroid levels and their determinants --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Introduction to Sex steroids --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Androgens --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2.1 --- Types of androgens --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2.2 --- Androgens plasma concentration and relative biological potencies --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2.3 --- Androgen biosynthesis and metabolism --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2.4 --- Testosterone transportation in plasma --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.2.5 --- Measurement of free testosterone --- p.7 / Chapter 1.1.2.6 --- The hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis and testosterone secretion --- p.8 / Chapter 1.1.2.7 --- Androgen action --- p.10 / Chapter 1.1.2.8 --- Androgen biological function and diseases in men --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Estrogen biological function and diseases in men --- p.12 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Factors influencing circulating sex steroid levels --- p.13 / Chapter 1.1.4.1 --- Genetic determinants affecting sex steroid levels --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2 --- Genetic variants in sex steroid metabolic pathway and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) --- p.18 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Epidemiology of HCC --- p.18 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Etiological factors of HCC --- p.22 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- The male predominance in HCC --- p.24 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Genetic predisposition to HCC --- p.26 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- PART A STUDY: GENETIC VARIATIONS IN SEX STEROID METABOLIC PATHWAY AND ASSOCIATION WITH SEX STEROID LEVELS --- p.28 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.28 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Candidate genes association with sex steroid levels --- p.28 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Genes involved in androgen metabolism --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- SRD5A --- p.29 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- HSD3B1 --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- HSD17B2 --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- AKR1C3 and AKRlC4 --- p.31 / Chapter 2.1.2.5 --- AKR1D1 --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Genes involved in estrogen metabolism --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.3.1 --- CYP19A1 --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1.3.2 --- Other genes involved in estrogen metabolism --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Association of sex steroid related genes and blood concentrations of sex steroid levels --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.4.1 --- Genes involved in androgen metabolic pathway and association with sex steroid levels --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.4.2 --- Genes involved in estrogen metabolic pathway and association with sex steroid levels --- p.36 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Aims of the study (Part A) --- p.37 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Study subjects and biological samples --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- TagSNP selection --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Genotyping of tagging SNPs --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Genotyping methods comparison --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Statistics --- p.53 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.54 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Characteristics of study population --- p.54 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Replication study for the association of CYP19A1 --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Association of the SNP rs2470152 and rs2899470 with serum estrogen and testosterone levels --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- Halotype analysis and haplotype association in the tertile groups --- p.61 / Chapter 2.3.2.3 --- Haplotype construction of 3 SNPs --- p.63 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- SRD5A1 --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Association of SRD5A1 and sex steroid levels --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Haplotype analysis and haplotype association in the tertile groups --- p.71 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- SRD5A2 --- p.72 / Chapter 2.3.4.1 --- Association of SRD5A2 and sex steroid levels --- p.72 / Chapter 2.3.4.2 --- Haplotype association analysis of SRD5A2 in tertile groups --- p.76 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- HSD3B1 --- p.77 / Chapter 2.3.5.1 --- Association of HSD3B1 and sex steroid levels --- p.77 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- HSD17B2 --- p.80 / Chapter 2.3.6.1 --- Association of HSD17B2 and sex steroid levels --- p.80 / Chapter 2.3.6.2 --- Halotype association analysis of HSD17B2 in the tertile groups --- p.87 / Chapter 2.3.7 --- AKR1C4 --- p.89 / Chapter 2.3.7.1 --- Association of AKR1C4 and sex steroid levels --- p.89 / Chapter 2.3.7.2 --- Halotype association analysis of AKR1C4 in the tertile groups --- p.93 / Chapter 2.3.8 --- AKR1D1 --- p.94 / Chapter 2.3.8.1 --- Association of AKR1D1 and sex steroid levels --- p.94 / Chapter 2.3.8.2 --- Haplotype association analysis of AKR1D1 in the tertile groups --- p.99 / Chapter 2.3.9 --- AKR1C3 --- p.100 / Chapter 2.3.9.1 --- Association of AKR1C3 and sex steroid levels --- p.100 / Chapter 2.3.9.2 --- Haplotype association analysis of AKR1C3 in the tertile groups --- p.104 / Chapter 2.3.10 --- Overall association of polymorphisms in sex steroid metabolism genes and metabolites levels in blood --- p.105 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.106 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- SRD5A and sex steroid levels --- p.106 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- HSD17B2 and sex steroid levels --- p.110 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- "AKR1D1, AKR1C4, AKR1C3 and catabolic intermediates of sex steroids" --- p.112 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- HSD3B1 and sex steroid levels --- p.114 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- CYP19A1 and sex steroid levels --- p.114 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- PART B STUDY: GENETIC VARIATIONS IN SEX STEROID METABOLIC PATHWAY AND ASSOCIATION WITH HCC --- p.119 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.119 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Previous genetic association studies of HCC on sex steroid metabolic pathways --- p.119 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Previous genetic association studies of HCC in other pathways --- p.120 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- "Association of sex steroid related genes and other cancers, like prostate cancer" --- p.121 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Aims of the study (Part B) --- p.123 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and method --- p.125 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- "Study subjects, Genomic DNA extraction" --- p.125 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Tissue specimen and cell lines --- p.125 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- TagSNP selection --- p.126 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Genotyping of tagging SNPs --- p.126 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Statistics --- p.127 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Extraction of RNA and Reverse-Transcription-PCR --- p.128 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.130 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- SRD5A1 --- p.130 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- SRD5A1 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.130 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- SRD5A2 --- p.134 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- SRD5A2 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.134 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.136 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- HSD3B1 --- p.137 / Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- HSD3B1 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.137 / Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.139 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- HSD17B2 --- p.140 / Chapter 3.3.4.1 --- HSD17B2 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.140 / Chapter 3.3.4.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.143 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- CYP19A1 --- p.144 / Chapter 3.3.5.1 --- CYP19A1 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.144 / Chapter 3.3.5.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.146 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- AKR1C4 --- p.147 / Chapter 3.3.6.1 --- AKR1C4 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.147 / Chapter 3.3.6.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.148 / Chapter 3.3.7 --- AKR1D1 --- p.149 / Chapter 3.3.7.1 --- AKR1D1 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.149 / Chapter 3.3.7.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.150 / Chapter 3.3.8 --- AKR1C3 --- p.151 / Chapter 3.3.8.1 --- AKR1C3 polymorphisms and risk of HCC --- p.151 / Chapter 3.3.8.2 --- Haplotype analysis --- p.152 / Chapter 3.3.9 --- mRNA expression study of the 5 α -reductase isoforms --- p.153 / Chapter 3.3.9.1 --- Expression of SRD5A1 and SRD5A2 mRNAin HCC patients --- p.153 / Chapter 3.3.9.2 --- Expression of SRD5A1 and SRD5A2 mRNAin prostate and HCC cell lines --- p.154 / Chapter 3.3.10 --- Overall association of polymorphisms in sex steroid metabolism genes and risk of HCC --- p.154 / Chapter 3.3.11 --- GMDR analysis --- p.156 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.159 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- 5 α-reductase and risk of HCC --- p.159 / Chapter 3.4.1.1 --- SRD5A2 --- p.160 / Chapter 3.4.1.2 --- SRD5A1 --- p.161 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Other genes and association with HCC --- p.162 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- HSD17B2 and risk of HCC --- p.162 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- "HSD3B1, AKR1C3, AKR1C4, AKR1D1 and risk of HCC" --- p.163 / Chapter 3.4.2.3 --- CYP19A1 and risk of HCC --- p.164 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Gene-Gene interactions associated with HCC --- p.165 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECT FOR FUTURE WORK --- p.166 / Chapter 4.1 --- Conclusion --- p.166 / Chapter 4.2 --- Future works and prospect --- p.169 / REFERENCES --- p.170

Yip, Wing Kit. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-119). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract (English version) --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese version) --- p.iii / Acknowledgments --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Abbreviations --- p.xiii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Hepatocellular Carcinoma --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Epidermiology --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Etiology --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Hepatitis B Virus --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- The Epidermiology of Hepatitis B Virus Infection --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- The Morphology and Genome of Hepatitis B Virus --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- HBV Genotypes and Their Significance --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3 --- Hepatitis B Virus X Protein --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- HBx Alters Various Signal Transduction Pathways --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- HBx Interacts with Various Transcription Factors and Co-activators --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- HBx Induces Epigenetic Alterations --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Identification of COOH-terminal Truncated HBx in Liver Tumors --- p.15 / Chapter 1.4 --- MicroRNAs --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Transcriptional Regulation and Biogenesis of MicroRNAs --- p.18 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- MicroRNAs and Cancer --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- MicroRNAs and HCC --- p.25 / Chapter 1.5 --- Hypothesis and Aims of the Study --- p.29 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- MATERIALS and METHODS --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1 --- Patients --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cell Lines --- p.30 / Chapter 2.3 --- Cloning of Various HBx Constructs --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- PCR Amplification of HBx Fragments --- p.32 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Cloning of HBx Fragments into TA-vectos --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Heat Shock Transformation --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Sub-cloning of HBx Fragments into Lentiviral Vectors --- p.34 / Chapter 2.4 --- Generation of Lentivirus --- p.37 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Lentivirus Infection --- p.37 / Chapter 2.5 --- RNA Extraction --- p.38 / Chapter 2.6 --- Western Blot Analysis --- p.39 / Chapter 2.7 --- MiRNA Microarray --- p.40 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Cyanine3-pCp Labeling of RNA Samples --- p.40 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Sample Hybridization --- p.41 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Microarray Wash --- p.41 / Chapter 2.7.4 --- Array Slide Scanning and Processing --- p.41 / Chapter 2.8 --- Detection of HBx Gene Deletion by PCR --- p.43 / Chapter 2.9 --- Immunohistochemistry --- p.44 / Chapter 2.10 --- Quantitative Real-time PCR --- p.45 / Chapter 2.11 --- Proliferation Assay --- p.47 / Chapter 2.12 --- Cell Cycle Analysis --- p.48 / Chapter 2.13 --- Annexin V Apoptosis Assay --- p.49 / Chapter 2.14 --- Colony Formation Assay --- p.50 / Chapter 2.15 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- RESULTS --- p.52 / Chapter 3.1 --- Detection of Full-length and COOH-terminal Truncated HBx in HCC Tissues --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2 --- Confirmation of HBx Expression in HCC Tissues --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3 --- Comparison of HBx from Different HBV Genotypes for Study --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4 --- Functional Characterization of COOH-tterminal Truncated HBx --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Selection of COOH-terminal Truncated HBx --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Generation of Various HBx-expressing Hepatocyte Cell Lines --- p.66 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Effect of Full-length and COOH-terminal Truncated HBx on Cell Proliferation --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Effect of Full-length and COOH-terminal Truncated HBx Cell Cycle --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Effect of Full-length and COOH-terminal Truncated HBx on Apoptosis --- p.45 / Chapter 3.5 --- MicroRNA Profiling of Various HBx-expressing Hepatocyte Cell Lines --- p.76 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Identification of Deregulated MicroRNAs by Microarray --- p.76 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Validation of Deregulated MicroRNAs by Real-time PCR Analysis --- p.80 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Confirmation of Deregulated MiRNAs in HCC and Adjacent Non-tumor Tissues --- p.84 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Potential Downstream Targets of the HBx-deregulated MiRNAs --- p.87 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- DISCUSSION --- p.91 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Impact of COOH-terminal Truncated HBx in HCC --- p.91 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Biological Significance of COOH-terminal Truncated HBx Induced MiRNAs --- p.94 / Chapter 4.3 --- Limitations of the Present Study --- p.97 / Chapter 4.4 --- Future Studies --- p.98 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- CONCLUSION --- p.99 / REFERENCES --- p.100

Chau, Kin Fan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-119). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.II / 摘要 --- p.VI / Acknowledgements --- p.IX / List of figures --- p.X / List of Abbreviations --- p.XII / Table of Contents --- p.XV / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Incidence and etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Structure of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Hepatitis B X protein (HBx) and HCC --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- HBx and Apoptosis --- p.8 / Chapter 1.5 --- The role of Bcl-2 family in apoptosis and cell survival --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6 --- "Bid, the BH3-domain only protein" --- p.14 / Chapter 1.7 --- Dual Functions of Bid --- p.16 / Chapter 1.8 --- The relationship between Bid and HBx --- p.19 / Chapter 1.9 --- Hypoxia and HCC --- p.21 / Chapter 1.10 --- Hypoxia and HBx --- p.25 / Chapter 1.11 --- Hypoxia and Bid --- p.28 / Chapter 1.12 --- Aim of study --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Methods and materials / Chapter 2.1 --- Confirmation of the culture of the stable cell lines --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2 --- Doxorubicin treatment to the cell lines --- p.34 / Chapter 2.3 --- Culture of the cell lines under hypoxic conditions --- p.35 / Chapter 2.4 --- Protein sample preparations --- p.37 / Chapter 2.5 --- Determination of protein samples --- p.38 / Chapter 2.6 --- Sodium dodecyl sulfate 226}0ؤ polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS- PAGE) --- p.39 / Chapter 2.7 --- Transfer of protein to nitrocellulose membranes --- p.39 / Chapter 2.8 --- Western blot analysis of proteins --- p.41 / Chapter 2.8.1. --- Antibodies --- p.41 / Chapter 2.8.2. --- Determination of expression profiles of desired proteins by immunoblotting --- p.45 / Chapter 2.9 --- "Measurement of cell viability by MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay" --- p.46 / Chapter 2.10 --- Determination of cell proliferation by BrdU proliferation assay --- p.47 / Chapter 2.11 --- Detection of apoptosis of the cell lines by TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling) --- p.50 / Chapter 2.12 --- Determination of the involvement of p38 MAPK in the generation of truncated Bid by p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results / Chapter 3.1 --- Confirmation of plasmids and the stable cell lines --- p.53 / Chapter 3.2 --- Morphology and the basic parameters of the cells with full-length HBx or mutant HBx --- p.53 / Chapter 3.3 --- Cell viability under doxorubicin treatment with or without hypoxia --- p.59 / Chapter 3.4 --- Determination of cell proliferation under stress --- p.70 / Chapter 3.5 --- Expression profiles of various proteins in the stable cell lines under doxorubicin treatment with or without hypoxia --- p.74 / Chapter 3.5.1. --- Verification of hypoxia --- p.74 / Chapter 3.5.2. --- Pro-apoptotic proteins --- p.74 / Chapter 3.5.3. --- Anti-apoptotic proteins --- p.74 / Chapter 3.6 --- Determination of apoptosis of various cell lines under stress --- p.82 / Chapter 3.7 --- "p38 MAPK, but not Akt, was activated by doxorubicin" --- p.87 / Chapter 3.8 --- The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 could attenuate the cleavage of Bid --- p.89 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.92 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Conclusion and future prospective --- p.103 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- References --- p.106