Serum miR-33a is associated with steatosis and inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after liver transplantation
2019
Abstract
MiR-33a has emerged as a critical regulator of lipid homeostasis in the liver. Genetic deficiency of miR-33a aggravates liver steatosis in a preclinical model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and relative expression of miR-33a is increased in the livers of patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
It was unknown whether miR-33a is detectable in the serum of patients with NAFLD. Our data indicate that circulating miR-33a is an independent predictor of liver steatosis and inflammation in patients after liver transplantation.
Although statistically significant, its contribution to the accuracy of prediction model employing readily available clinical and biochemical variables was limited in our cohort.