Abstract
Background and study aim: MicroRNAs were evaluated as biomarkers for liver injury in various liver diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the serum miRNA-122 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring different stages of disease in chronic hepatitis C patients. Patients and Methods: A case-control study included 45 subjects, divided into three groups: control group, compensated, and decompensated cirrhotic patients groups. All participants were subjected to full history taking, clinical assessment, routine lab investigations, hepatitis B surface antigen, HCV antibodies, HCV-RNA using PCR, and determination of serum expression of miRNA-122 using real-time PCR. Results: The miRNA-122 expression levels among the two groups with liver disease were significantly higher than the control group. Among cirrhotic patients, the expression levels were significantly higher in the compensated subjects compared to the decompensated group. The miRNA-122 levels decreased with the progression of liver disease (from Child-Pugh class A to C) but without significant difference. Patients with ascites had a significantly lower expression of miR-122 compared to those without ascites. Patients with gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy had statistically insignificant lower expression of miRNA 122 compared to subjects without these complications. As regards all patients groups there were significant positive correlations between miRNA-122 expression and (AST, ALT, albumin, and viral load) and a significant negative correlation as regard INR. Conclusion: Serum miRNA-122 expression levels decreased with the progression of liver disease and at a cut-off value ≤ 2.74 fold change could predict the occurrence of hepatic decompensation. So Serum miRNA-122 seems to be a useful new diagnostic marker in hepatitis C patients with different stages of the disease.
Highlights
Hepatitis C is a global health problem
Hepatitis C virus infection can cause acute hepatitis C; following acute infection, 50–80% of patients develop chronic hepatitis C which can trigger a chronic inflammatory disease process that might lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death [2]
These findings are explained by the leakage of ALT and AST from damaged hepatocytes and into the serum where high ALT levels reflect early damage at a subcellular level and AST is a marker of additional mitochondrial or nuclear damage. [15].This study showed that there was a significant positive correlation between micro RNA. PCR (miRNA)-122 expression levels and aminotransferase levels (ALT, AST) among subjects with liver disease
Summary
Hepatitis C is a global health problem. Approximately 130–200 million individuals are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) [1]. Hepatitis C virus infection can cause acute hepatitis C; following acute infection, 50–80% of patients develop chronic hepatitis C which can trigger a chronic inflammatory disease process that might lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death [2]. The early diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis plays an important role in hepatitis treatment and prevention, inhibits disease progression, and reduces transmission to others [3]. Novel biomarkers, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), are being investigated for their diagnostic potential in viral hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the serum miRNA-122 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring different stages of disease in chronic hepatitis C patients
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