Clinical Impact of Serum Exosomal MicroRNA in Liver Fibrosis

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2021 Sep 10

PMID 34506494

Citations 8

Authors

Young Chang

Jae-A Han

Suk Min Kang

Soung Won Jeong

Tom Ryu

Han Seul Park

Jeong-Ju Yoo

Sae Hwan Lee

Sang Gyune Kim

Young Seok Kim

Hong Soo Kim

So Young Jin

Seongho Ryu

Jae Young Jang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background/aim: We investigated alterations in the expression of serum exosomal miRNAs with the progression of liver fibrosis and evaluated their clinical applicability as biomarkers.

Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 71 patients who underwent liver biopsy at an academic hospital in Korea. Exosomes were extracted from serum samples, followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of miRNAs and targeted real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A model was derived to discriminate advanced fibrosis based on miRNA levels and the performance of this model was evaluated. Validation of the effect of miRNA on liver fibrosis in vitro was followed.

Results: NGS data revealed that exosomal miR-660-5p, miR-125a-5p, and miR-122 expression were changed significantly with the progression of liver fibrosis, of which miR-122 exhibited high read counts enough to be used as a biomarker. The level of exosomal miR-122 decreased as the pathologic fibrosis grade progressed and patients with biopsy-proven advanced fibrosis had significantly lower levels of exosomal miR-122 (P < 0.001) than those without advanced fibrosis. Exosomal miR-122 exhibited a fair performance in discriminating advanced fibrosis especially in combination with fibrosis-4 score and transient elastography. In a subgroup of patients with a non-viral etiology of liver disease, the performance of exosomal miR-122 as a biomarker was greatly improved. Inhibition of miR-122 expression increased the proliferation of the human hepatic stellate cell line, LX-2, and upregulated the expression of various fibrosis related proteins.

Conclusion: Exosomal miR-122 may serve as a useful non-invasive biomarker for liver fibrosis, especially in patients with non-viral etiologies of chronic liver disease.

Citing Articles

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microRNAs and Other Serological Markers of Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Alcohol-Related Liver Cirrhosis.

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Li H, Liu T, Yang Y, Cho W, Flynn R, Harandi M Genes Dis. 2023; 10(4):1457-1469.

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Liver fibrosis-derived exosomal miR-106a-5p facilitates the malignancy by targeting SAMD12 and CADM2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hu J, Xie C, Xu S, Pu Q, Liu H, Yang L PLoS One. 2023; 18(5):e0286017.

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