Interplay between TGF-b1 and miRNA-122 biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C

ABSTRACT

@#Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal malignancy and clinically validated medications have not yet been developed since there are no reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Based on bioinformatics tools, TGF-b1 gene was the first target gene of miRNA-122, therefore this study was intended to assess the potential interconnection between TGF-b1 and miRNA-122 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in the progression of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype (4). In this study, 100 people were included and split into two groups; group I CHC patients without HCC that were classified into patients CHC without cirrhosis and CHC cirrhotic patients, group II CHC patients with HCC, and healthy volunteers as control. The expression of miRNA-122 and TGF-b1 genes were analyzed using Real-Time PCR. An upregulation of miRNA-122 gene in cirrhotic and HCC patients compared to both chronic HCV non-cirrhotic, and cirrhotic patients, while, a decrease in expression of TGF-b1 was found in cirrhotic patients compared to HCV non-cirrhotic patients. Although significantly downregulated in HCC patients. Regression analysis indicated that the expression levels of miRNA-122 and TGF-b1 could be regarded as important indicators of the alterations in cirrhotic and HCC patients versus HCV non-cirrhotic patients, also with the chances of HCC versus cirrhosis patients. Our data indicated an interaction between miRNA-122 and TGF-b1, regulated gene expression and recommended the use of these parameters as noninvasive predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCV induced liver cirrhosis and HCC.