Severity of hepatitis C virus (genotype-3) infection positively correlates with circulating microRNA-122 in patients sera.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (genotype-3) causes acute and chronic hepatitis infection predomination in India. The infectious phase of the virus requires various host factors for its survival and subsequent viral particle production. Small RNA molecules like microRNA-122 (miR-122) are one such factor mostly present in the liver and play a supportive role in viral replication.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, diagnostic potential of miR-122 is evaluated in the sera of chronic hepatitis C patients.


METHODS
miRNAs were isolated from the sera samples of patients as well as controls and miR-122 expression was quantified by real-time PCR.


RESULTS
A significant augmentation was observed in the level of circulating miR-122 (median level, 0.66 versus 0.29, P = 0.001) in patients compared to controls with ROC value of 0.929 ± 0.034 (P < 0.001). Interestingly, miR-122 level also depicted a significant positive correlation with serum ALT (r = 0.53), AST (r = 0.44), and viral load (r = 0.52).


CONCLUSIONS
The study thus unveiled the role of miR-122 as a plausible diagnostic biomarker during HCV genotype-3 infection in India.
Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Subodh
S
Kumar
Department of Hepatology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Yogesh Kumar
YK
Chawla
Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Sujata
S
Ghosh
Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
Anuradha
A
Chakraborti
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs