NFE2L2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Hepatitis B virus infection, which causes acute or chronic liver inflammation and contributes to the development of HCC, has been shown to induce activation of Nrf2 and antioxidative response elements in vivo and in vitro by HBV-regulatory proteins, including HBx and large surface proteins, via c-Raf and mitogen-activated protein kinase (Hildt et al., 2002; Schaedler et al., 2010).