Serum microRNA-21 as marker for necroinflammation in hepatitis C patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026971. Epub 2011 Oct 31.

Abstract

Background: MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is up-regulated in tumor tissue of patients with malignant diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Elevated concentrations of miR-21 have also been found in sera or plasma from patients with malignancies, rendering it an interesting candidate as serum/plasma marker for malignancies. Here we correlated serum miR-21 levels with clinical parameters in patients with different stages of chronic hepatitis C virus infection (CHC) and CHC-associated HCC.

Methodology/principal findings: 62 CHC patients, 29 patients with CHC and HCC and 19 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. RNA was extracted from the sera and miR-21 as well as miR-16 levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR; miR-21 levels (normalized by miR-16) were correlated with standard liver parameters, histological grading and staging of CHC. The data show that serum levels of miR-21 were elevated in patients with CHC compared to healthy controls (P<0.001); there was no difference between serum miR-21 in patients with CHC and CHC-associated HCC. Serum miR-21 levels correlated with histological activity index (HAI) in the liver (r = -0.494, P = 0.00002), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (r = -0.309, P = 0.007), aspartate aminotransferase (r = -0.495, P = 0.000007), bilirubin (r = -0.362, P = 0.002), international normalized ratio (r = -0.338, P = 0.034) and γ-glutamyltransferase (r = -0.244, P = 0.034). Multivariate analysis revealed that ALT and miR-21 serum levels were independently associated with HAI. At a cut-off dC(T) of 1.96, miR-21 discriminated between minimal and mild-severe necroinflammation (AUC = 0.758) with a sensitivity of 53.3% and a specificity of 95.2%.

Conclusions/significance: The serum miR-21 level is a marker for necroinflammatory activity, but does not differ between patients with HCV and HCV-induced HCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine Transaminase / blood
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
  • Bilirubin / blood
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / blood*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / complications*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / blood*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / complications*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / enzymology
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / pathology
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / blood*
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Liver Neoplasms / blood*
  • Liver Neoplasms / complications
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Necrosis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Serum Albumin
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases
  • Alanine Transaminase
  • Bilirubin