Objective      To investigate the relationship among hepatitis B virus (HBV)

miR-499a and CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) in hepatoma cells.       Methods      Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the expression of miR-499a in HepG2.2.15 cells with HBV replication. Quantitative RT-PCR

Western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to investigate whether CFLAR was the target gene of miR-499a.       Results      The miR-499a expression was up-regulated in the HepG2.2.15 cells and the Ad-HBV-HepG2 cells as compared to the control groups

HepG2 cells and Ad-GFP-HepG2 cells

respectively. The qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that the CFLAR expression at mRNA and protein levels was down-regulated when miR-499a was over-expressed

and was up-regulated when miR-499a expression was inhibited in SMMC7721 cells. MiR-499a inhibited CFLAR expression by specifically targeting its mRNA 3’UTR.       Conclusion      HBV up-regulates miR-499a expression in hepatoma cells

and CFLAR is the target gene of miR-499a.