Hepatitis B–Induced IL8 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Venous Metastasis and Intrahepatic Treg Accumulation

Abstract Hepatitis B–associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often accompanied by severe vascular invasion and portal vein tumor thrombus, leading to a poor prognosis. However, the underlying mechanism of this disease remains obscure. In this study, we demonstrate that the hepatitis B virus (HBV)–encoded gene HBx induces high IL8 production through MEK–ERK signal activation, leading to enhanced endothelial permeability to facilitate tumor vascular invasion. In a vascular metastatic model using a tail vein injection in a transgenic mouse with selective expression of human CXCR1 in the endothelium, activation of the IL8–CXCR1 cascade by overexpression of IL8 in tumor cells dramatically enhanced liver metastasis. Mechanistically, IL8 selectively induced GARP-latent-TGFβ in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and subsequently provoked preferential regulatory T-cell polarization to suppress antitumor immunity. Collectively, these findings reveal a hepatitis B–associated IL8–CXCR1 signaling axis that mediates vascular invasion and local microenvironmental immune escape of HCC to induce intrahepatic metastasis, which may serve as potential therapeutic targets for HBV-associated HCC. Significance: This study identifies a hepatitis B–induced IL8/CXCR1/TGFβ signaling cascade that suppresses antitumor immunity and enhances metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma, providing new potential targets for therapeutic intervention.