الفهرس 
HCV life cycleOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Circulating microRNA-122 level in chronic hepatitis C with and without hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients
Introduction: Being the largest internal organ of the human body with the unique ability of self-regeneration, the liver is involved in a wide variety of vital functions that require highly orchestrated and controlled biochemical processes (Bandiera et al, 2014). Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for the regulation of liver development, regeneration and metabolic functions. Hence, alterations in intrahepatic miRNA networks have been associated with liver disease including hepatitis, steatosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Bandiera et al, 2014). Among the wealth of recently discovered non-protein-coding RNAs, miRNAs constitute a class of endogenous post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression through RNA interference (RNAi), which relies on the sequence-specific pairing between a small non-protein-coding RNA and a target nucleic acid (Martinez et al, 2002).MicroRNA-122 (miR-122), which accounts for 70% of the liver’s total miRNAs, plays a pivotal role in the liver. However, its intrinsic physiological roles remain largely undetermined (Zeisel et al, 2013).
Aim of the study: To evaluate level of circulating microRNA-122 in chronic hepatitis C with and without hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients
Patients and methods: 40 patients were recruited from the Department of Internal Medicine and the Outpatient Clinic of Ain Shams University hospital and 10 healthy volunteers representing the control. A case control study design was adopted. Exclusion of other causes of chronic liver disease, with ruling out the history of previous HCC treatment or antiviral therapy for HCV, with exclusion of presence of hepatic malignancies other than HCC. Total RNA extraction was done, reverse transcription and TaqMan real-time PCR assays of microRNA.
Results: miR-122 fold change of the test groups (HCV and HCC) showed statistically significant lower median values when each was compared to the control group, using the non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z (K-S) test, with the median values of the HCV group compared to the control being higher than those in HCC group. (p= 0.016, Z=1.54 for the HCV & p= 0.007, Z = 1.6 for HCC). There were statistically significant higher levels of miR-122 expression in CPC-A in HCV group than control with median fold increase of 11.30 from control and p-value= 0.00. However, the median value of CPC-A in HCC group was 1.29 fold increase from control but it was statistically non-significant p-value= 0.72
Conclusion: we concluded for significant increase of plasma miR-122 in compensated HCV liver cirrhosis than control with subsequent significant decrease than control of its levels in decompensated HCV liver cirrhosis. Also concluded for significant decrease of its levels with aggression of HCV-related HCC up to undetectable in infiltrative type
Keywords: microRNA-122, HCV, HCC, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, aggressive HCC