[Expression profiles of the exosomal miRNAs in the chronic hepatitis B patients with persistently normal ALT].

Abstract

To investigate expression profiles of the plasma exosomal miRNAs of the chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with persistently normal alamine aminotransferase (PNALT) for the first time and try to find exosomal miRNAs which could reflect liver inflammation better. 
 Methods: Five CHB patients with liver tissue inflammation grade ≥A2 of PNALT and 5 CHB patients with liver tissue inflammation grade <A2 of PNALT were enrolled and their blood samples were collected. The exosomes were extracted from these blood samples and measured by electron microscope to determine the extraction effect. The exosomal miRNAs were extracted and sent for high throughput sequencing, and the expression of exosomal miRNAs in the 2 groups of patients was analyzed.
 Results: Under the electron microscope, exosomes were small membranous vesicles with 30-100 nm in diameter. The peak value of particle size ranged from 10 to 100 nm. High throughput sequencing showed that there were 591 differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs between the 2 groups. Compared with the control group, 18 exosomal miRNAs were up-regulated and 6 exosomal miRNAs were down-regulated in PNALT patients with the liver tissue inflammation grade≥A2.
 Conclusion: Exosomal miRNAs in the CHB patients with PNALT who have the different grades of liver inflammation are differently expressed. Some of the differently expressed exosomal miRNAs are expected to be sensitive biomarkers for timely assessment of liver inflammation in the CHB patients with PNALT.