Serum microRNA-29 levels correlate with disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Chong Huang,
Jian Ming Zheng,
Qi Cheng,
Kang Kang Yu,
Qing Xia Ling,
Ming Quan Chen and
Ning Li*
DOI: 10.1111/1751-2980.12185
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Issue
Cover image for Vol. 15 Issue 8
Journal of Digestive Diseases
Author InformationPublication History
Author Information
Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
* Corresponding to: Ning LI, Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital,
Fudan University, 12 Middle Urumqi Road, Shanghai 200040, China.
E-mail: [email protected]
This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/1751-2980.12185
Keywords:
microRNA-29;
hepatitis B;
fibrosis;
biomarker
Objective
To investigate the role of serum microRNA (miR)-29s as biomarkers for disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
Methods
By using realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, we measured serum miR-29a/b/c levels in different groups of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. We analyzed correlation of serum miR-29 levels with liver biochemistry, fibrosis and necroinflammation stage.
Results
Patients were divided by fibrosis stage into S0/1 (minimal fibrosis), S2/3 (progressing fibrosis) and S4 (cirrhosis). Serum miR-29a/c levels in S0/1 and S2/3 were significantly higher than those in S4 patients (P < 0.001), the difference between S0/1 and S2/3 patients was not significant. miR-29b levels were higher in S0/1 patients than other groups (P < 0.001), but not significantly different between S2/3 and S4. In fibrosis stage S0/1 and S2/3, patients with minimal liver inflammation (G0/1) tended to express higher miR-29 levels than advanced inflammation (G2-4), the difference was insignificant. All miR-29 members demonstrated significant correlation with ALT levels (P <0.05 for miR-29a, P <0.001 for miR-29b, P <0.01 for miR-29c) in S0-3 patients. Expression of miR-29s was highest in immune tolerant patients (P < 0.001).
Conclusions
Serum miR-29 levels negatively correlate with fibrosis and necroinflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. miR-29s appear to be novel biomarkers for predicting disease progression in these patients.