FIG 7.

The expression of FoxO4 is negatively correlated with HBV cccDNA in HBV-infected hepatocytes and human liver tissue. (A) Huh7 cells were transfected with control empty vector or prcccDNA/Cre. At 48 h posttransfection, the level of FoxO4 protein was determined by Western blotting. (B) HepG2-NTCP cells were infected with HBV at 10³ vge/cell for 9 days, and the level of FoxO4 protein was determined as in panel A. (C) Primary hepatocytes (PHHs) were infected with HBV at 10² vge/cell for 9 days, and the level of FoxO4 protein was determined as in panel A. (D) The protein level of FoxO4 in liver tissues from control individuals and CHB patients (n =18) was determined by Western blotting. (E and F) Correlations between FoxO4 protein and HBV preC-pgRNA (E) or HBV cccDNA (F) in CHB patients (n = 18). The data are shown as means ± the SD of triplicates and are representative of three independent experiments (**, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001).