Altered DNA mutation spectrum in aflatoxin B1-treated transgenic mice that express the hepatitis B virus X protein

Humans chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are at further risk of liver cancer upon exposure to dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a carcinogenic product of the mold Aspergillus flavus. For the present study, we utilized double-transgenic mice (ATX mice) that express the HBV X protein (HBx) and possess a bacteriophage lambda transgene to evaluate the in vivo effect of HBx expression on AFB1-induced DNA mutations. The expression of HBx correlated with a 24% increase in mutation frequency overall and an approximately twofold increase in the incidence of G/C-to-T/A transversion mutations following AFB1 exposure. These results are consistent with a model in which expression of HBx during chronic HBV infection may contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma following exposure to environmental carcinogens.