title: Liver microRNA hsa-miR-125a-5p in HBV chronic infection: correlation with HBV replication and disease progression.
abstract: To study in HBsAg chronic carriers the expression of liver hsa-miR-125a-5p and its correlation with liver HBV-DNA values and clinical presentation, 27 consecutive Caucasian, HBsAg/anti-HBe/HBV-DNA-positive patients who were naive to nucleos(t)ide analogues and interferon therapy and had no marker of HCV, HDV or HIV infection and no history of alcohol intake were enrolled. For each patient, liver HBV DNA and liver hsa-miR-125a-5p were quantified by real-time PCR in relation to β-globin DNA or RNU6B, respectively. Liver fibrosis and necroinflammation were graded by applying Ishak's scoring system. Liver hsa-miR-125a-5p was detected in all patients enrolled and a correlation between its concentration and liver HBV DNA was demonstrated (p<0.0001). Higher liver hsa-miR-125a-5p concentrations were observed in patients with HBV-DNA plasma level >10(3) IU/ml (p<0.02), in those with HAI >6 (p = 0.02) and those with fibrosis score >2 (p<0.02) than in patients with lower scores. Higher HBV-DNA liver concentrations were found in patients with abnormal AST (p = 0.005) and ALT serum levels (p = 0.05), in those with serum HBV DNA higher than 10E3 IU/mL (p = 0.001) and those with fibrosis score >2 (p = 0.02) than in patients with a lower load. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, liver hsa-miR-125a-5p was identified as an independent predictor of disease progression: O.R. = 4.21, C.I. 95% = 1.08-16.43, p<0.05, for HAI >6; O.R. = 3.12, C.I. 95% = 1.17-8.27, p<0.05, for fibrosis score >2. In conclusion, in HBsAg/anti-HBe-positive patients, the liver hsa-miR-125a-5p level correlated with liver and plasma HBV-DNA values and was associated to a more severe disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Potenza
authors.forename: Mariantonietta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pisaturo
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Gilda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonziello
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Signoriello
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sagnelli
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Evangelista
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sagnelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C531977:MIRN125 microRNA, Drosophila; D035683:MicroRNAs