1. [Evaluation of miR-122 level in the plasma of chronically HCV infected patients].
- Author
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Gholami M, Ravanshad M, Alavian SM, Baesi K, and Moallemi S
- Subjects
- Adult, Alanine Transaminase metabolism, Aspartate Aminotransferases metabolism, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Hepacivirus pathogenicity, Hepatitis C, Chronic genetics, Hepatitis C, Chronic virology, Humans, Liver pathology, Liver virology, Male, Hepacivirus genetics, Hepatitis C, Chronic blood, Liver metabolism, MicroRNAs blood
- Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, which have an important function in regulating RNA stability and gene expression. They also can circulate in a cell-free form in the blood thatmakes them potential disease markers. The liver contains various classes of miRNAs in which miR-122 accounts for about 70% of all miRNAs and it has been proved that its level increases in case of liver damage. Here, we investigated plasma levels of miR-122 as a useful disease parameter in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. Thirty five hemophilia and thalassemia patients with CHC were studied. The total RNA was extracted from plasma samples, and miR-122 levels were measured by qPCR and then compared with the specific liver markers. The plasma levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST) were correlated with plasma miR-122 level in CHC patients, and the level of circulating miR-122 in healthy individual groups were rarely lower than those of patients with CHC. In our study, miR-122 levels correlated well with markers of liver inflammatory activity. Plasma miR-122 can be assumed to be another marker in liver similar to the currently used specific markers such as ALT and AST for evaluation of liver damage in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Moreover, the correlation between miR-122 and ALT was shown to be higher than between miR-122 and AST.
- Published
- 2016
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