title: Correlation between plasma miR-122 expression and liver injury induced by hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to define the correlation between microRNA-122 (miR-122) expression and hepatectomy-induced liver injury in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma miR-122 expression in patients with HCC and healthy age-matched controls was determined, and correlated with plasma alanine transaminase activity (ALT) and bilirubin levels preoperatively and on days 1 and 7 postoperation. Correlations between plasma miR-122 and clinicopathological characteristics at 1 day postoperation were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study included 80 patients with HCC and 80 controls. Baseline expression of miR-122 mRNA and ALT in patients with HCC was significantly higher than in controls. MiR-122 expression correlated with ALT and bilirubin levels preoperatively and on days 1 and 7 postoperatively. In patients with HCC who received a block of the first hepatic portal during surgery and those with excised tumour size >5 cm, plasma miR-122 expression was significantly increased on day 1 postoperatively, compared with expression levels in those who did not receive a block and those with smaller tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma miR-122 expression is correlated with hepatectomy-induced liver injury in patients with HCC. Increase in miR-122 expression could be used as an index of such injury before and after hepatectomy in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruoquan
authors.forename: Nie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wanpin
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiangsheng
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guodong
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feizhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: Liver cancer; hepatectomy; liver injury; microRNA-122