BACKGROUND: Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine released during the immune response in chronic liver injury. Although IL-22 mediates tissue regeneration, its uncontrolled production may generate a carcinogenic environment resulting in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to identify the effect of IL-22 on anti-apoptotic and metastatic genes and the molecular pathways responsible for IL-22-mediated hepatic carcinogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three cancerous liver lines, HepG2, SNU-387, Huh7, and one normal liver line, THLE2, were treated with IL-22. RT-qPCR analysis was conducted to study the role of IL-22 in altering the expression levels of anti-apoptotic genes, MCL-1 and BCL-2, and metastatic genes, MMP-7 and MMP-9. A significant increase in expression levels of these genes was observed after IL-22 treatment. Furthermore, to explore the major pathways involved in IL-22-mediated upregulation of anti-apoptotic and metastatic genes, cells were treated with inhibitors of JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT pathways along with IL-22. Resultantly, a significant decrease in expression levels of target genes was observed, indicating the involvement of JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling cascades in IL-22-mediated oncogenesis. Finally, Cell Scratch assay was performed to check the effect of IL-22 and inhibitors of JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT on the metastatic potential of liver cells. While migration was observed in Huh7 and THLE2 cells treated with IL-22, no migration was observed in cells treated with IL-22 along with JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT inhibitors. Results indicate that IL-22 encourages metastasis in HCC cells via the JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT pathways. CONCLUSION: Results showed that IL-22 upregulates anti-apoptotic and metastatic genes in HCC through JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

• Klíčová slova
• Hepatocellular carcinoma, IL-22, JAK/STAT pathway, PI3K/AKT pathway, Proinflammatory cytokine,
• MeSH
• 1-fosfatidylinositol-3-kinasa metabolismus   MeSH
• fosfatidylinositol-3-kinasy metabolismus   MeSH
• hepatocelulární karcinom * metabolismus   MeSH
• interleukin 22 MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory jater * metabolismus   MeSH
• proliferace buněk genetika   MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-akt metabolismus   MeSH
• signální transdukce MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1-fosfatidylinositol-3-kinasa MeSH
• fosfatidylinositol-3-kinasy MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-akt MeSH