The Expression Of Circulating MiR-122 And MiR-192 Factor In Cholestasis-Induced Liver Injury And Its Clinical Significance

Liver injury is a common disease which is caused by HBV and/or HCV infection,alcohol,drugs and other causes. Because liver injury may progress into cirrhosis or liver cancer, it remains a serious threaten to human health. Liver injury is reversible, so early diagnosis and correct assessment of liver injury are very important. MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are a family of endogenous,noncoding,functional RNAs,approximately 21-25 nucleotides in length. It is highly conservative in evolution. miRNAs regulate gene expression by catalyzing the cleavage of mRNA or repressing mRNA translation. They are believed to be critical in cell development, apoptosis, cell proliferation and differentiation. miRNAs are closely related to the development and prognosis of diseases. In recent years, many studies have shown that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of injury-related substances and they are related to the injury of many tissues and organs. Circulating miRNAs are the miRNAs existing in peripheral blood(serum and plasma). Current studies found that circulating miRNAs can be used as novel biomarkers for the cancers and injuries of tissues and organs。Objective:The aim of the study is to find the expression of miRNAs associated with cholestasis-induced liver injury.Methods: We established and evaluated a cholestatic hepatic fibrosis model induced by bile duct ligation in mouse, and took it as an in vivo model to investigate hepatic inflammation during the process of experimental liver injury. Blood samples for miRNA detection were collected from the patients with biliary calculi or the BDL and sham-operated mice. The dynamic expressions of serum miR-122 and miR-192 in mice with liver injury and patients were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.Results: We found that circulating miR-122 and miR-192 were dynamically elevated during BDL-induced cholestatic liver injury in a time-dependent manner, and the expression changes were similar to ALT and AST. Moreover, the levels of serum miR-122 and miR-192 were significantly higher in patients with biliary calculi than those in the healthy control group.Conclusions: miR-122 and miR-192 may serve as novel biomarkers for liver injury.