Associations of miR-122 expressed in liver and anti-oxidant genes, such as heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX-1), NAD(P)H, quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), and growth factor erv1-like (GFER1) in liver tissue specimens obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis B, have been uncovered. The gene discussed is NQO1; the disease is chronic hepatitis B virus infection.