Role of MicroRNAs in the Development of Chronic Liver Disease in Hepatitis Virus-Infected Egyptian Population

Marwa Hassan; Eman El-Ahwany; Mohamed Elzallat; Ali Abdel Rahim; Hoda Abu-Taleb; Yosry Abdelrahman; Moataz Hassanein

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2022.10902

Authors

Marwa Hassan Department of Immunology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9751-8129
Eman El-Ahwany Department of Immunology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
Mohamed Elzallat Department of Immunology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
Ali Abdel Rahim Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
Hoda Abu-Taleb Department of Medical Biostatistics and Environmental Research, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
Yosry Abdelrahman Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
Moataz Hassanein Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2022.10902

Keywords:

Chronic liver disease, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatocellular carcinoma, MicroRNAs

Abstract

Background: The identification of miRNAs that play a role in the regulation of the viral life cycle and its related liver illness opens the door to the development of diagnostic biomarkers that can categorize patients at higher risk for developing end-stage liver disease. This study was designed to investigate the role of miRNAs in the development of viral hepatitis-induced chronic liver disease (CLD) in the Egyptian population, as well as their potential as possible diagnostic biomarkers for chronic hepatitis virus infection.

Methodology: The study involved 100 CLD patients; 55 cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 45 cases of non-viral hepatitis, in addition to 40 healthy controls. The expression of five miRNAs (miR‐30, miR‐122, miR‐296, miR‐351, and miR‐431) was assessed using real-time PCR.

Results: Serum levels of miR‐30, miR‐122, miR‐296, miR‐351, and miR‐431 were significantly higher in all patients than the control group (p<0.01). Also, they were significantly greater in viral hepatitis cases compared to the non-viral hepatitis group (p<0.01). The sensitivities and specificities of miR-122a, miR‐30, miR‐296, miR‐351, and miR‐431 were (85.71%, 83.33%), (82.35%, 83.33%), (85.71%, 69.44%), (88.64%, 75.76%), and (87.80%, 65.79%), respectively.

Conclusions: miR‐30, miR‐122, miR‐296, miR‐351, and miR‐431 play key roles in the development of CLD as a consequence of viral infection. So, they have the potential to be targeted for the early detection of chronic hepatitis virus infection and allow for exploring a new frontier in the discovery of innovative therapeutics to combat chronic viral infection and its serious life-threatening complications including liver cancer.

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