Pretreatment serum microRNA-122 is not predictive for treatment response in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
BACKGROUND
MicroRNA-122 is a liver specific microRNA and is elevated in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatic microRNA-122 levels have been described to be reduced in patients with non-response to antiviral treatment with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin.


OBJECTIVE
Assessment of differences in serum microRNA-122 levels in patients with sustained virological response and non-response.


METHODS
RNA was extracted from pretreatment serum samples and microRNA-122 and microRNA-16 levels were measured by quantitative PCR and compared in patients with sustained virological response and non-response.


RESULTS
The levels of microRNA-122 and microRNA-16 in the sera did not differ between patients with sustained virological response and non-response.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum microRNA-122 is not a suitable marker for treatment response prediction to combination therapy with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Department of Medicine I (Gastroenterology and Hepatology), Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. waidmann@biochem2.uni-frankfurt.de
Oliver
O
Waidmann
Verena
V
Bihrer
Bernd
B
Kronenberger
Stefan
S
Zeuzem
Albrecht
A
Piiper
Nicole
N
Forestier
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D035683:MicroRNAs; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a