Serum microRNAs; miR-30c-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-302c-3p and miR-17-5p could be used as novel non-invasive biomarkers for HCV-positive cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Alteration of circulating ACE2-network related microRNAs in patients with COVID-19

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) serves as the primary receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has implications for the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Based on our previously published bioinformatic analysis, in this study we aimed to analyze the diagnostic and predictive utility of miRNAs (miR-10b-5p, miR-124-3p, miR-200b-3p, miR-26b-5p, miR-302c-5p) identified as top regulators of ACE2 network with potential to affect cardiomyocytes and cardiovascular system in patients with COVID-19. The expression of miRNAs was determined through qRT-PCR in a cohort of 79 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as well as 32 healthy volunteers. Blood samples and clinical data of COVID-19 patients were collected at admission, 7-days and 21-days after admission. We also performed SHAP analysis of clinical data and miRNAs target predictions and advanced enrichment analyses. Low expression of miR-200b-3p at the seventh day of admission is indicative of predictive value in determining the length of hospital stay and/or the likelihood of mortality, as shown in ROC curve analysis with an AUC of 0.730 and a p-value of 0.002. MiR-26b-5p expression levels in COVID-19 patients were lower at the baseline, 7 and 21-days of admission compared to the healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Similarly, miR-10b-5p expression levels were lower at the baseline and 21-days post admission (P = 0.001). The opposite situation was observed in miR-124-3p and miR-302c-5p. Enrichment analysis showed influence of analyzed miRNAs on IL-2 signaling pathway and multiple cardiovascular diseases through COVID-19-related targets. Moreover, the COVID-19-related genes regulated by miR-200b-3p were linked to T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase and the HIF-1 transcriptional activity in hypoxia. Analysis focused on COVID-19 associated genes showed that all analyzed miRNAs are strongly affecting disease pathways related to CVDs which could be explained by their strong interaction with the ACE2 network.

MicroRNA-223-3p levels in serum-derived extracellular vesicles predict regression of M2BPGi-based liver fibrosis after hepatitis C virus eradication by direct-acting antiviral agents

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively investigated microRNA (miRNA) levels in serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as predictive indicators for regression of liver fibrosis, after achievement of a sustained virological response (SVR) by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODS

The study subjects were recruited from a historical cohort of 108 CHC patients whose pretreatment serum Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) levels were ≥ 2.0 cut-off index (COI). We classified patients with M2BPGi levels < 1.76 and ≥ 1.76 COI at 2 years after the end of treatment (EOT) into the regression and non-regression groups, respectively. Eleven of the patients were assigned to the discovery set, and we comprehensively investigated the miRNAs contained in serum-derived EVs at 24 weeks after the EOT (EOT24W), using RNA sequencing. The remaining 97 patients were assigned to the validation set, and reproducibility was verified by quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

Through analysis of the discovery and validation sets, we identified miR-223-3p and miR-1290 as candidate predictors. Subsequently, we analyzed various clinical data, including these candidate miRNAs. Multivariate analyses revealed that the levels of miR-223-3p at EOT24W were significantly associated with regression of M2BPGi-based liver fibrosis (Odds ratio: 1.380; P = 0.024). Consistent results were obtained, even when the serum M2BPGi levels were aligned by propensity score matching and in patients with advanced M2BPGi-based liver fibrosis (pretreatment M2BPGi levels ≥ 3.3 COI).

CONCLUSIONS

The miR-223-3p level in serum-derived EVs at EOT24W is a feasible predictor of regression of M2BPGi-based liver fibrosis after achievement of an SVR by DAA therapy.

Liquid Liver Biopsy for Disease Diagnosis and Prognosis

Liver diseases are a major burden worldwide, the scope of which is expected to further grow in the upcoming years. Clinically relevant liver dysfunction-related blood markers such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase have limited accuracy. Nowadays, liver biopsy remains the gold standard for several liver-related pathologies, posing a risk of complication due to its invasive nature. Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive approach, which has shown substantial potential in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of liver diseases by detecting disease-associated particles such as proteins and RNA molecules in biological fluids. Histones are the core components of the nucleosomes, regulating essential cellular processes, including gene expression and DNA repair. Following cell death or activation of immune cells, histones are released in the extracellular space and can be detected in circulation. Histones are stable in circulation, have a long half-life, and retain their post-translational modifications. Here, we provide an overview of the current research on histone-mediated liquid biopsy methods for liver diseases, with a focus on the most common detection methods.

The Current Status of the Liver Liquid Biopsy in MASH Related HCC: Overview and Future Directions

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is one of the major risk factors for chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The incidence of MASH in Western countries continues to rise, driving HCC as the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. HCC has become a major global health challenge, partly from the obesity epidemic promoting metabolic cellular disturbances but also from the paucity of biomarkers for its early detection. Over 50% of HCC cases are clinically present at a late stage, where curative measures are no longer beneficial. Currently, there is a paucity of both specific and sensitive biological markers for the early-stage detection of HCC. The search for biological markers in the diagnosis of early HCC in high-risk populations is intense. We described the potential role of surrogates for a liver biopsy in the screening and monitoring of patients at risk for nesting HCC.

Evaluation of Plasma miR-17-5p, miR-24-3p and miRNA-223-3p Profile of Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients after Treatment with Direct-Acting Antivirals

The expression of miR-223-3p, miR-17-5p, and miR-24-3p was evaluated in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patient serum samples, collected before DAA treatment and after a sustained virological response (SVR). Fifty HCV patients were stratified based on their liver damage stages into three different subgroups (21 with chronic hepatitis-CH, 15 with cirrhosis, and 14 with hepatocellular carcinoma-HCC). Considering the entire HCV population, the miRNA expression levels were significantly downregulated after the SVR compared to pre-treatment ones (p < 0.05). Stratifying the patients based on liver damage, the post-SVR values of the three miRNAs were significantly downregulated compared to the pre-treatment levels for both cirrhosis and HCC patients. No significant differences emerged from the analysis of the CH group. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detail the behavior of miR-223-3p, miR-17-5p, and miR-24-3p levels in patients with HCV-related CH, cirrhosis, and HCC after DAA therapy. Our findings show that HCV-infected patients have different miRNA profiles before and after treatment with DAAs, strongly suggesting that miRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of HCV-related damage. In this respect, the correlation observed among the three studied miRNAs could imply that they share common pathways by which they contribute the progression of HCV-induced chronic liver damage.

Circulating miR-122-5p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-18a-5p as Potential Biomarkers in Human Liver Transplantation Follow-Up

The requirement of blood-circulating sensitive biomarkers for monitoring liver transplant (LT) is currently a necessary step aiming at the reduction of standard invasive protocols, such as liver biopsy. In this respect, the main objective of this study is to assess circulating microRNA (c-miR) changes in recipients' blood before and after LT and to correlate their blood levels with gold standard biomarkers and with outcomes such as rejection or complications after graft. An miR profile was initially performed; then, the most deregulated miRs were validated by RT-qPCR in 14 recipients pre- and post-LT and compared to a control group of 24 nontransplanted healthy subjects. MiR-122-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-18a-5p, and miR-30c-5p, identified in the validation phase, were also analyzed considering an additional 19 serum samples collected from LT recipients and focusing on different follow-up (FU) times. The results showed significant, FU-related changes in c-miRs. In particular, miR-122-5p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-18a-5p revealed the same trend after transplantation and an increase in their level was found in patients with complications, independently from FU times. Conversely, the variations in the standard haemato-biochemical parameters for liver function assessment were not significant in the same FU period, confirming the importance of c-miRs as potential noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring patients' outcomes.

MiR-302c-5p affects the stemness and cisplatin resistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by regulating HSP90AA1

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most frequent malignant tumors diagnosed in China. Cisplatin is one of the most commonly used anticancer drugs containing platinum in combined chemotherapy. The molecular mechanism of NPC is still largely unknown, and we aim to spare no effort to elucidate it. Normal human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and NPC cell lines were cultured. The expression levels of miR-302c-5p and HSP90AA1 were detected with quantitative real-time PCR. Western blotting was used to analyze levels of the HSP90AA1, protein kinase B (AKT), p-AKT, CD44 and SOX2 proteins. The interaction between miR-302c-5p and HSP90AA1 was detected using a luciferase reporter assay. The bicinchoninic acid assay was used to observe cisplatin resistance in NPC cells. Our records confirmed that the expression of miR-302c-5p was substantially reduced and HSP90AA1 was increased in NPC cells. Additionally, miR-302c-5p inhibited cisplatin resistance and the traits of stem cells in NPC. A luciferase assay confirmed that miR-302c-5p is bound to HSP90AA1. Overexpression of HSP90AA1 may reverse the effects of overexpressed miR-302c-5p and inhibit cisplatin resistance and stem cell traits of NPC. This study investigated whether miR-302c-5p inhibited the AKT pathway by regulating HSP90AA1 expression and altered the resistance of NPC cells to cisplatin and the traits of tumor stem cells, which has not yet been reported.

miRNA-223-3p regulates ECT2 to promote proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Expression of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor epithelial cell transforming 2 (ECT2) is elevated in gastric cancer (GC) but its biological function in GC is poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have great potential as therapeutic targets for GC through their ability to modulate gene expression. In the present study, we sought to identify potential miRNA-mRNA-protein regulatory pathways that might control ECT2 expression and function in GC.

METHODS

ECT2 expression was examined in clinical GC specimens by immunohistochemical staining, and protein levels were correlated with clinicopathological features and prognosis. TargetScan was used to identify potential ECT2 mRNA-complementary miRNAs, and the roles of ECT2 and miRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) in GC cell biology and signaling pathway activation were examined by targeted knockdown (KD) or overexpression (OE) of ECT2 and miR-223-3p in GC cell lines. A murine GC xenograft model was developed to explore the impact of ECT2 OE on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

ECT2 expression was significantly elevated in GC specimens compared with normal gastric tissues and the level correlated positively with depth of invasion, ulceration, vascular tumor thrombus, neural invasion, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). ECT2 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival of GC patients (high ECT2 expression v.s. low ECT2 expression: χ² = 29.831, p < 0.001). ECT2 KD or miR-223-3p OE markedly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells in vitro, whereas ECT2 OE had the opposite effects. ECT2 OE also promoted the growth of GC tumors in vivo. Tumor expression of Wnt2, β-catenin, and several downstream target proteins in GC cells were decreased by ECT2 KD or miR-223-3p OE but increased by ECT2 OE.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-223-3p regulates ECT2 expression to promote tumorigenic behavior of GC via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that ECT2 and miR-223-3p as potential therapeutic targets for GC.

The Role of miRNAs, circRNAs and Their Interactions in Development and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Insilico Approach

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of malignant tumor. miRNAs are noncoding RNAs and their differential expression patterns are observed in HCC-induced by alcoholism, HBV and HCV infections. By acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), circRNA regulates the miRNA function, indirectly controlling the gene expression and leading to HCC progression. In the present study, data mining was performed to screen out all miRNAs and circRNA involved in alcohol, HBV or HCV-induced HCC with statistically significant (≤0.05%) expression levels reported in various studies. Further, the interaction of miRNAs and circRNA was also investigated to explore their role in HCC due to various causative agents. Together, these study data provide a deeper understanding of the circRNA-miRNA regulatory mechanisms in HCC. These screened circRNA, miRNA and their interactions can be used as prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the treatment of HCC.

hsa-miR-17-5p: A Possible Predictor of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir + Dasabuvir ± Ribavirin Therapy Efficacy in Hepatitis C Infection

Although persistent sustained viral response rates are increased in hepatitis C infection following administration of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, the pre-use predictive parameters of these antivirals and the clinical progression in patients post-treatment remain unknown. To obtain data pertaining to the predictive parameters prior to the use of ombitavir/paritaprevir/ritonavir + dasabuvir and the clinical progression in patients following antiviral treatment. The expression profiles of miR-223-3p, miR-17-5p, miR-24-3p, and TLR2 - 196 to - 174 del/ins polymorphisms from the blood/serum of 34 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients pre- and post-ombitavir/paritaprevir/ritonavir + dasabuvir treatment were determined by RT-qPCR. The expression levels of miR-17-5p (P < 0.001) and miR-24-3p (P = 0.011) were significantly downregulated post-treatment as compared with those pre-treatment; however, there was no significant difference between these two groups in terms of miR-223-3p expression. In addition, there was no significant difference in TLR2 genotype or allele distribution between pre-and post-treatment (P > 0.05); nevertheless, the TLR2 del allele was decreased post-treatment (16.2%) as compared with that pre-treatment (19.1%), although the difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the mRNA levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and HCV RNA pre-and post-treatment (P < 0.05). Further, miR-17-5p expression correlated with both ALT and AST mRNA levels post-treatment (P.

lncRNA NONRATT013819.2 promotes transforming growth factor-β1-induced myofibroblastic transition of hepatic stellate cells by miR24-3p/lox

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), yet the role of upregulated lncRNA-NONRATT013819.2 in activated HSCs remains uncertain. In this study, the effects of NONRATT013819.2 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and contraction of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced HSCs were investigated. The mechanisms of NONRATT013819.2 on the activated HSCs were explored by loss-of-function of NONRATT013819.2 and gain-of-function of the target gene. Here, TGF-β1 treatment resulted in a gradual increase in the expression of cytoskeleton markers (collagen, α-SMA, and TIMP1), NONRATT013819.2, miR24-3p, and lysyl oxidase (Lox) over time in HSCs. NONRATT013819.2 acted as a sponge of miR24-3p to competitively abolish the inhibition of the lox gene in HSCs. Silencing of NONRATT013819.2 suppressed the expression of cytoskeleton markers, proliferation, and the proportion of cells that entered the S-phase, and promoted apoptosis in TGF-β1-activated HSCs. These effects were reversed when lox overexpression was introduced simultaneously. Similarly, silencing of NONRATT013819.2 also blocked ECM reconstruction, while recused by lox overexpression in TGF-β1-activated HSCs. In conclusion, upregulation of NONRATT013819.2 promotes the myofibroblastic transition by competitively binding miR24-3p to release lox in HSCs. Therefore, targeted therapy of NONRATT013819.2 may have the potential for liver fibrosis.

Construction of a Necroptosis-Related miRNA Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Many miRNAs have been demonstrated to be associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, how to combine necroptosis-related miRNAs to achieve the best predictive effect in estimating HCC patient survival has not been explored.

Methods: The mRNA and miRNA expression profile were downloaded from a public database (TCGA-LIHC cohort). Necroptosis-related genes were obtained from previous references, and necroptosis-related miRNAs were identified using Pearson analysis. Subsequently, differential expression miRNAs (DEms) were identified in HCC and paracancer normal samples based on necroptosis-related miRNA expression. The whole set with HCC was randomized into a training set and testing set (1:1). LASSO-Cox regression analysis was used to construct an miRNA signature. Multiple statistical methods were used to validate the clinical benefit of signature in HCC patients, including receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan–Meier survival analyses, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The downstream target genes of miRNAs were obtained from different online tools, and the potential pathways involved in miRNAs were explored. Finally, we conducted RT-qPCR in SK-HEP-1, THLE-3, and HUH-7 cell lines for miRNAs involved in the signature.

Results: The results showed that a total of eight specific necroptosis-related miRNAs were screened between HCC and adjacent tissues in the training set. Subsequently, based on the aforementioned miRNAs, 5-miRNA signature (miR-139-5p, hsa-miR-326, miR-10b-5p, miR-500a-3p, and miR-592) was generated by LASSO-Cox regression analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk scores were independent prognostic indicators in each set. The area under curves (AUCs) of 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and 7 years were high in each set (AUC >0.7). DCA analysis also revealed that the risk score had a potential benefit than other clinical characteristics. Meanwhile, survival analysis showed that the high-risk group showed low survival probabilities. Moreover, the results of enrichment analysis showed that specific miRNAs were mainly enriched in the cAMP signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. Finally, the results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the prediction results in public databases.

Conclusion: Our study establishes a robust tool based on 5-necroptosis-related miRNAs for the prognostic management of HCC patients.

MiR-223 as a Regulator and Therapeutic Target in Liver Diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding single-stranded small molecule RNAs consisting of 20–24 nucleotides that are highly conserved in species evolution. Expression of miRNAs is strictly tissue-specific, and it is chronological in fungi and plants, as well as in animals. MiR-223 has been shown to play a key role in innate immunity, and dysregulation of its expression contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory diseases, and cancers. In this article the biosynthesis and functions of miR-223 in innate immunity are reviewed, and the role of miR-223 in liver physiopathology and therapeutic prospects are highlighted.

miR-223: An Immune Regulator in Infectious Disorders

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are diminutive noncoding RNAs that can influence disease development and progression by post-transcriptionally regulating gene expression. The anti-inflammatory miRNA, miR-223, was first identified as a regulator of myelopoietic differentiation in 2003. This miR-223 exhibits multiple regulatory functions in the immune response, and abnormal expression of miR-223 is shown to be associated with multiple infectious diseases, including viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and tuberculosis (TB) by influencing neutrophil infiltration, macrophage function, dendritic cell (DC) maturation and inflammasome activation. This review summarizes the current understanding of miR-223 physiopathology and highlights the molecular mechanism by which miR-223 regulates immune responses to infectious diseases and how it may be targeted for diagnosis and treatment.

Potential role of noninvasive biomarkers during liver fibrosis

Various types of liver disease exist, such as hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease. These liver diseases can result in scarring of liver tissue, cirrhosis, and finally liver failure. During liver fibrosis, there is an excess and disorganized accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components which cause the loss of normal liver cell functions. For patients with chronic liver disease, fibrosis prediction is an essential part of the assessment and management. To diagnose liver fibrosis, several invasive and noninvasive markers have been proposed. However, the adoption of invasive markers remains limited due to their inherent characteristics and poor patient acceptance rate. In contrast, noninvasive markers can expedite the clinical decision through informed judgment about disease stage and prognosis. These noninvasive markers are classified into two types: Imaging techniques and serum biomarkers. However, the diagnostic values of biomarkers associated with liver fibrosis have also been analyzed. For example, the serum levels of ECM proteins can react to either matrix accumulation or degradation. During virus-host interactions, several regulatory steps take place to control gene expression, such as the change in cellular microRNA expression profiles. MicroRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs (18-20 long nucleotides) that function by post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Although various noninvasive markers have been suggested in recent years, certain limitations have restricted their clinical applications. Understanding the potential of non-invasive biomarkers as a therapeutic option to treat liver fibrosis is still in progress.

Reduced expression of miR-30c-5p promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting RAB32

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains among the most lethal of human cancers, despite recent advances in modern medicine. miR-30c-5p is frequently dysregulated in different diseases. However, the effects and the underlying mechanism of miR-30c-5p in HCC are still elusive. Here, we show that miR-30c-5p is downregulated in HCC and significantly associated with survival and tumor size in patients with HCC. We demonstrate that aberrant miR-30c-5p markedly affects HCC cell proliferation and migration. Further experiments show that RAB32 is an essential target of miR-30c-5p in HCC. These studies highlight an important role of miR-30c-5p in growth and invasion of HCC and indicate that the miR-30c-5p-RAB32 axis is an important underlying mechanism.

[Differences in plasma miRNA levels in inferior petrosal sinus samples of patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome]

BACKGROUND

For the last decades microRNAs (miR) have proven themselves as novel biomarkers for various types of diseases. Identification of specific circulating microRNA panel that differ patient with Cushing's disease (CD) and ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) could improve the diagnostic procedure.

AIM

to evaluate the differences in miR levels in plasma samples drained from inferior petrosal sinuses in patients with CD and EAS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

single-center, case-control study: we enrolled 24 patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome (CS) requiring bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS).  Among them 12 subjects were confirmed as CD (males=2, females=10; median age 46,5 [IR 33,8;53,5]) and 12 as EAS (males=4, females=8, median age 54 [IR 38,75;60,75]). BIPSS was performed through a percutaneous bilateral approach. Once catheters were properly placed, blood samples were withdrawn simultaneously from each petrosal sinus and a peripheral vein. Plasma samples from both sinuses were centrifuged and then stored at -80 C. MiRNA isolation from plasma was carried out by an miRneasy Plasma/Serum Kit (Qiagen, Germany) on the automatic QIAcube station according to the manufacturer protocol. To prevent degradation, we added 1 unit of RiboLock Rnase Inhibitor (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) per 1 μL of RNA solution. The concentration of total RNA in the aqueous solution was evaluated on a NanoVue Plus spectrophotometer (GE Healthcare, USA). The libraries were prepared by the QIAseq miRNA Library Kit following the manufacturer standard protocols. MiR expression was then analyzed by sequencing on Illumina NextSeq 500 (Illumina, USA).

RESULTS

108 miRNAs were differently expressed (p &lt;0,05) in inferior petrosal sinus samples of patients with CD vs EAS. We divided these miRNAs into 3 groups based on the significance of the results. The first group consisted of samples with the highest levels of detected miR in both groups. Four miRNAs were included: miR-1203 was downregulated in CD vs EAS - 36.74 (p=0,013), and three other were upregulated in CD vs EAS: miR-383-3p 46.36 (p=0,01), miR-4290 6.84 (p=0,036), miR-6717-5p 4.49 (p=0,031). This miRs will be validated in larger cohorts using RT-qPCR.

CONCLUSION

Plasma miR levels differ in inferior petrosal samples taken from patients with CD vs EAS. These miRs need to be validated by different methods and in peripheral plasma samples in order to be used as potentially non-invasive biomarkers to differentiate ACTH-dependent CS.

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 promoted hepatitis C virus-induced pyroptosis of β-cell through mediating the miR-223-3p/NLRP3 axis

Background

Type 2 diabetes is a well described extra-hepatic manifestation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of KCNQ1 overlapping transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) caused by HCV infection.

Methods

Min6 cells were infected with HCV to establish a vitro model, and the HCV copy number was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The mRNA and protein expressions of IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD were analyzed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to evaluate the pyroptosis of cells and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected the secretion of insulin. A dual luciferase reporter gene assay then verified the targeting relationship of KCNQ1OT1, miRNA-223-3p, and NLRP3.

Results

KCNQ1OT1 was highly expressed in HCV-infected T2DM patients and HCV-infected β-cells. Silencing KCNQ1OT1 inhibited β-cell pyroptosis by regulating miR-223-3p/NLRP3, and inhibition of miR-223-3p or overexpression of NLRP3 reversed the pyroptosis by silencing KCNQ1OT1.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate KCNQ1OT1 promotes HCV-infected β-cell pyroptosis through the miRNA-223-3p/NLRP3 axis, effecting the production of insulin and accelerating the occurrence and development of T2DM.Regulating KCNQ1OT1 and its target genes will help to better understand the pathogenesis of T2DM induced by HCV infection and provide new theoretical foundations and therapeutic targets.

Identification of microRNA hsa-miR-30c-5p as an inhibitory factor in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and investigation of its regulatory network via comprehensive analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with high morbidity and mortality. An increasing number of abnormal gene expressions were identified to be associated with the progression of HCC. Previous studies showed that the hsa-miR-30 c-5p (miR-30 c), one of the miR-30 family members, might play a role in suppressing tumor progression in a variety of tumors. The present study aims to examine miR-30 c effects in the development of HCC. The role of miR-30 c in HCC was comprehensively investigated by using bioinformatics and experiments in vitro. The multiple databases were combined to predict and screen the target genes and upstream lncRNAs of miR-30 c, and then constructed a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network with miR-30 c as the central miRNA. The miR-30 c-related ceRNA regulatory network was also initially validated in vitro. The results showed that miR-30 c over-expression could inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion, induce apoptosis, and increase G0/G1 phase ratio of HCC cells. Three miR-30 c upstream lncRNAs and 12 miR-30 c target genes were expressed in HCC cells with increased expression and poor prognosis, and a miR-30 C-related ceRNA regulatory network was constructed. This study verified miR-30 c as an inhibitory factor in the progression of HCC and performed analyses on the miR-30 c regulatory network, which might provide potential target information for HCC prognoses and therapies. However, further experiments in vivo and studies including clinical trials will be conducted to validate our results.

Salivary miR-30c-5p as Potential Biomarker for Detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The levels of different classes of extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) remain stable in bodily fluids. The detection of either enriched or depleted specific subsets of salivary microRNAs (miRNAs) has the potential to serve as a non-invasive approach for biomarker development. Thus, salivary miRNAs have emerged as a promising molecular tool for early diagnosis and screening of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Total RNA was extracted from saliva supernatant of 33 OSCC patients and 12 controls (discovery set), and the differential expression of 8 cancer-related miRNAs was detected by TaqMan assay. Among the screened miRNAs, miR-30c-5p (p < 0.04) was significantly decreased in OSCC saliva. The same transcriptional behavior of miR30c-5p was observed in an additional validation set. miR-30c-5p showed a significant statistical difference between cases and controls with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.71–0.89). The sensitivity and the specificity of miR-30c-5p were 86% and 74%, respectively. The target identification analysis revealed enrichment of miR-30c-5p targets in p53 and Wnt signaling pathways in OSCC. Additionally, the miR-30c-5p targets had clinical significance related to overall survival. In conclusion, these findings show that downregulated miR-30c-5p has the potential to serve as a novel, non-invasive biomarker for early OSCC detection.

HCV Proteins Modulate the Host Cell miRNA Expression Contributing to Hepatitis C Pathogenesis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development

Simple Summary

According to the last estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 71 million individuals have chronic hepatitis C worldwide. The persistence of HCV infection leads to chronic hepatitis, which can evolve into liver cirrhosis and ultimately into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although the pathogenic mechanisms are not fully understood, it is well established that an interplay between host cell factors, including microRNAs (miRNA), and viral components exist in all the phases of the viral infection and replication. Those interactions establish a complex equilibrium between host cells and HCV and participate in multiple mechanisms characterizing hepatitis C pathogenesis. The present review aims to describe the role of HCV structural and non-structural proteins in the modulation of cellular miRNA during HCV infection and pathogenesis.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome encodes for one long polyprotein that is processed by cellular and viral proteases to generate 10 polypeptides. The viral structural proteins include the core protein, and the envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2, present at the surface of HCV particles. Non-structural (NS) proteins consist of NS1, NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5a, and NS5b and have a variable function in HCV RNA replication and particle assembly. Recent findings evidenced the capacity of HCV virus to modulate host cell factors to create a favorable environment for replication. Indeed, increasing evidence has indicated that the presence of HCV is significantly associated with aberrant miRNA expression in host cells, and HCV structural and non-structural proteins may be responsible for these alterations. In this review, we summarize the recent findings on the role of HCV structural and non-structural proteins in the modulation of host cell miRNAs, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the cell re-programming involved in viral replication, immune system escape, as well as the oncogenic process. In this regard, structural and non-structural proteins have been shown to modulate the expression of several onco-miRNAs or tumor suppressor miRNAs.

Anti-Tumor Effect of Celastrol on Hepatocellular Carcinoma by the circ_SLIT3/miR-223-3p/CXCR4 Axis

Background

Celastrol is a potential anti-tumor agent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identifying the molecular determinants of the anti-HCC effect of celastrol is still challenging. In this study, we undertook to associate circular RNAs (circRNAs) with the anti-HCC molecular determinants of celastrol.

Methods

Cell colony formation, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were determined using the colony formation, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTS), transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The levels of circRNA slit guidance ligand 3 (circ_SLIT3), miR-223-3p and C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) were gauged by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Ribonuclease R (RNase R) and actinomycin D assays were performed to assess the stability of circ_SLIT3. Targeted relationships among circ_SLIT3, miR-223-3p and CXCR4 were confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. In vivo assays were performed to detect the roles of celastrol and circ_SLIT3 on tumor growth in vivo.

Results

Celastrol repressed HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and enhanced apoptosis in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Celastrol down-regulated circ_SLIT3 expression in HCC cells, and celastrol exerted an anti-tumor effect on HCC in vitro and in vivo by down-regulating circ_SLIT3. Mechanistically, circ_SLIT3 directly interacted with miR-223-3p, and circ_SLIT3 controlled CXCR4 expression by sponging miR-223-3p. Moreover, miR-223-3p was involved in the celastrol/circ_SLIT3-mediated regulation on HCC progression. Furthermore, celastrol exerted the anti-HCC effect in vitro through the miR-223-3p/CXCR4 axis.

Conclusion

Our present work first identified the circ_SLIT3/miR-223-3p/CXCR4 axis as a novel mechanism of the anti-HCC effect of celastrol, providing a new insight into the involvement of circRNAs in the anti-tumor molecular determinants of celastrol.

The Relevance of MicroRNAs in the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of HCV-Disease: The Emergent Role of miR-17-92 in Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem. HCV is a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and lymphoproliferative disorders such as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The molecular mechanisms by which HCV induces these diseases are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding molecules that negatively regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by decreasing their target gene expression. We will attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the role of miRNAs in the HCV life cycle, HCV-related HCC, and lymphoproliferative disorders, focusing on both the functional effects of their deregulation as well as on their putative role as biomarkers, based on association analyses. We will also provide original new data regarding the miR 17-92 cluster in chronically infected HCV patients with and without lymphoproliferative disorders who underwent antiviral therapy. All of the cluster members were significantly upregulated in CV patients compared to patients without CV and significantly decreased in those who achieved vasculitis clinical remission after viral eradication. To conclude, miRNAs play an important role in HCV infection and related oncogenic processes, but their molecular pathways are not completely clear. In some cases, they may be potential therapeutic targets or non-invasive biomarkers of tumor progression.

miR-224 is an early-stage biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma with miR-224 and miR-125b as prognostic biomarkers

Aim: The aim was to systematically investigate the miRNA biomarkers for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials & methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of miRNA expression in HCC were performed. Results: A total of 4903 cases from 30 original studies were comprehensively analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity of miR-224 in discriminating early-stage HCC patients from benign lesion patients were 0.868 and 0.792, which were superior to α-fetoprotein. Combined miR-224 with α-fetoprotein, the sensitivity and specificity were increased to 0.882 and 0.808. Prognostic survival analysis showed low expression of miR-125b and high expression of miR-224 were associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion: miR-224 had a prominent diagnostic efficiency in early-stage HCC, with miR-224 and miR-125b being valuable in the prognostic diagnosis.

Integration of miRNA-regulatory networks in hepatic stellate cells identifies TIMP3 as a key factor in chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is a critical process involved in liver fibrosis. Several miRNAs are implicated in gene regulation during this process but their exact and respective contribution is still incompletely understood. Here we propose an integrative approach of miRNA-regulatory networks to predict new targets.

METHODS

miRNA regulatory networks in activated HSCs were built using lists of validated miRNAs and the CyTargetLinker tool. The resulting graphs were filtered according to public transcriptomic data and the reduced graphs were analysed through GO annotation. A miRNA network regulating the expression of TIMP3 was further studied in human liver samples, isolated hepatic cells and mouse model of liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

Within the up-regulated miRNAs, we identified a subnetwork of five miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-221-3p miR-181b-5p and miR-17-5p) that target TIMP3. We demonstrated that TIMP3 expression is inversely associated with inflammatory activity and IL1-ß expression in vivo. We further showed that IL1-ß inhibits TIMP3 expression in HSC-derived LX-2 cells. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we showed that, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), TIMP3 expression is associated with survival (P < .001), while miR-221 (P < .05), miR-222 (P < .01) and miR-181b (P < .01) are markers for a poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Several miRNAs targeting TIMP3 are up-regulated in activated HSCs and down-regulation of TIMP3 expression is associated with inflammatory activity in liver fibrosis and poor prognosis in HCC. The regulatory network including specific miRNAs and TIMP3 is therefore central for the evolution of chronic liver disease.

Temporally Altered miRNA Expression in a Piglet Model of Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the most frequent cause of acquired infant brain injury. Early, clinically relevant biomarkers are required to allow timely application of therapeutic interventions. We previously reported early alterations in several microRNAs (miRNA) in umbilical cord blood at birth in infants with HIE. However, the exact timing of these alterations is unknown. Here, we report serial changes in six circulating, cross-species/bridging biomarkers in a clinically relevant porcine model of neonatal HIE with functional analysis. Six miRNAs—miR-374a, miR-181b, miR-181a, miR-151a, miR-148a and miR-128—were significantly and rapidly upregulated 1-h post-HI. Changes in miR-374a, miR-181b and miR-181a appeared specific to moderate-severe HI. Histopathological injury and five miRNAs displayed positive correlations and were predictive of MRS Lac/Cr ratios. Bioinformatic analysis identified that components of the bone morphogenic protein (BMP) family may be targets of miR-181a. Inhibition of miR-181a increased neurite length in both SH-SY5Y cells at 1 DIV (days in vitro) and in primary cultures of rat neuronal midbrain at 3 DIV. In agreement, inhibition of miR-181a increased expression of BMPR2 in differentiating SH-SY5Y cells. These miRNAs may therefore act as early biomarkers of HIE, thereby allowing for rapid diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention and may regulate expression of signalling pathways vital to neuronal survival.

MiR-223-3p promotes cell proliferation and metastasis by downregulating SLC4A4 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to affect the occurrence and progression of cancer. We therefore evaluated the involvement of miR-223-3p in renal cell cancer. MiR-223-3p was highly expressed in clear cell renal cell cancer tissues. Clear cell renal cell cancer patients with higher miR-223-3p expression had higher tumor stages and grades and poorer prognoses. In renal cancer cells, overexpression of miR-223-3p enhanced cell proliferation and metastasis, while inhibition of miR-223-3p reduced the malignant capacity of the cells. MiR-223-3p was found to bind directly to solute carrier family 4, member 4 (SLC4A4) mRNA, thereby reducing SLC4A4 mRNA and protein expression. SLC4A4 overexpression restrained cell proliferation and metastasis by suppressing Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) expression in renal cancer cells. SLC4A4 expression correlated negatively with miR-223-3p expression in patient samples. Given that miR-223-3p suppressed the SLC4A4/KRAS axis, miR-223-3p gene therapy could be an effective treatment for renal cancer.

MicroRNA profiles in serum samples from Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure patients and miR-25-3p as a potential biomarker for survival prediction

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a condition characterized by acute decompensation of cirrhosis, associated with organ failure(s), and high short-term mortality. The microRNAs or miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules, stable in circulating samples such as biological fluids, and the difference in expression levels may indicate the presence, absence and/or stage of the disease. We analyzed here the miRNA profiling to identify potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for ACLF. The major miRNAs discovered were validated in a cohort of patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis grouped in no ACLF or ACLF according to EASL-CLIF definition. Relationship between serum miRNAs and variables associated with liver-damage and survival outcomes were verified to identify possible prognostic markers. Our results showed twenty altered miRNAs between no ACLF and ACLF patients, and twenty-seven in patients who died in 30 days compared with who survived. In validation phase, miR-223-3p and miR-25-3p were significantly altered in ACLF patients and in those who died in 30 days. miR-223-3p and miR-25-3p expression were associated with the lowest survival in 30 days. The decrease in miR-223-3p and miR-25-3p expression was associated with the presence of ACLF and poor prognosis. Of these, miR-25-3p was independently related to ACLF and 30-day mortality.

Role of MicroRNA in the Diagnosis and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world and comes third in cancer-induced mortality. The need for improved and more specific diagnostic methods that can detect early-stage disease is immense, as it is amenable to curative modalities, while advanced HCC is associated with low survival rates. microRNA (miRNA) expression is deregulated in HCC and this can be implemented both diagnostically and therapeutically.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a concise review on the role of miRNA in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of HCC.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive review of the PubMed bibliographic database.

RESULTS

Multiple miRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. Measurement of the levels of these miRNAs either in tumor tissue or in the blood constitutes a promising diagnostic, as well as prognostic tool. OncomiRs are miRNAs that promote tumorigenesis, thus inhibiting them by administering antagomiRs is a promising treatment option. Moreover, replacement of the depleted miRNAs is another potential therapeutic approach for HCC. Modification of miRNA levels may also regulate sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents.

CONCLUSION

miRNA play a pivotal role in HCC pathogenesis and once the underlying mechanisms are elucidated, they will become part of everyday clinical practice against HCC.

Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA 665 Regulates Viability, Apoptosis, and Autophagy via the MiR-186-5p/MAP4K3 Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 665 (LINC00665) plays a vital role in the development of cancer. Its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, remains largely unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expressions of LINC00665, miR-186-5p, and MAP4K3 were determined by qRT-PCR. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. Autophagic puncta formation was observed by fluorescence microscopy. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pulldown were performed to identify associations among LINC00665, miR-186-5p, and MAP4K3. Western blot was utilized to examine the expressions of MAP4K3, Beclin-1, and LC3. Tumor growth was evaluated in a xenograft model.

RESULTS

Elevations in LINC00665 were observed in HCC tissues and cells. The overall survival of HCC patients with high levels of LINC00665 was shorter than those with low levels. In vitro, LINC00665 depletion inhibited viability and induced apoptosis and autophagy. miR-186-5p interacted with LINC00665 and was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Upregulation of miR-186-5p inhibited viability and induced apoptosis and autophagy, which were attenuated by upregulation of LINC00665. MAP4K3 was found to possess binding sites with miR-186-5p and was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. MAP4K3 depletion inhibited viability and induced apoptosis and autophagy, which were attenuated by miR-186-5p inhibitor. In vivo, miR-186-5p expression was negatively correlated with LINC00665 or MAP4K3 in HCC tissues, while LINC00665 was positively correlated with MAP4K3. LINC00665 knockdown suppressed tumor growth.

CONCLUSION

LINC00665 was involved in cell viability, apoptosis, and autophagy in HCC via miR-186-5p/MAP4K3 axis, which may provide a new approach for HCC treatment.

In silico analysis excavates potential biomarkers by constructing miRNA-mRNA networks between non-cirrhotic HCC and cirrhotic HCC

Background

Mounting evidences have demonstrated that HCC patients with or without cirrhosis possess different clinical characteristics, tumor development and prognosis. However, few studies directly investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms between non-cirrhotic HCC and cirrhotic HCC.

Methods

The clinical information and RNA-seq data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HCC with or without cirrhosis were obtained by R software. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis were performed by Enrichr. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established through STRING and mapped to Cytoscape to identify hub genes. MicroRNAs were predicted through miRDB database. Furthermore, correlation analysis between selected genes and miRNAs were conducted via starBase database. MiRNAs expression levels between HCC with or without cirrhosis and corresponding normal liver tissues were further validated through GEO datasets. Finally, expression levels of key miRNAs and target genes were validated through qRT-PCR.

Results

Between 132 non-cirrhotic HCC and 79 cirrhotic HCC in TCGA, 768 DEGs were acquired, mainly involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway. According to the result from gene expression analysis in TCGA, CCL19, CCL25, CNR1, PF4 and PPBP were renamed as key genes and selected for further investigation. Survival analysis indicated that upregulated CNR1 correlated with worse OS in cirrhotic HCC. Furthermore, ROC analysis revealed the significant diagnostic values of PF4 and PPBP in cirrhotic HCC, and CCL19, CCL25 in non-cirrhotic HCC. Next, 517 miRNAs were predicted to target the 5 key genes. Correlation analysis confirmed that 16 of 517 miRNAs were negatively regulated the key genes. By detecting the expression levels of these key miRNAs from GEO database, we found 4 miRNAs have high research values. Finally, potential miRNA-mRNA networks were constructed based on the results of qRT-PCR.

Conclusion

In silico analysis, we first constructed the miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in non-cirrhotic HCC and cirrhotic HCC.

A comparative characterization of the circulating miRNome in whole blood and serum of HCC patients

miRNAs are considered promising non-invasive biomarkers. Serum represents the major source of biomarkers, being readily accessible for many analytical tests. Recently, whole blood has drawn increasing interest in biomarker studies due to the presence of cancer-interacting cells and circulating cancer cells. Although Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the seventh most frequent cancer worldwide, fragmented information exists regarding the miRNome characterization in blood and serum. We profiled the circulatory miRNome of paired serum and blood samples from 20 HCC patients, identifying 274 miRNA expressed in serum and 670 in blood, most of them still uncharacterized. 157 miRNA significantly differ between the two biofluids with 28 exclusively expressed in serum. Six miRNA clusters significantly characterize the two compartments, with the cluster containing miR-4484, miR-1281, miR-3178, miR-3613-3p, miR-4532, miR-4668-5p, miR-1825, miR-4487, miR-455-3p, miR-940 having the highest average expression in serum compared to blood. The ontological analysis revealed a role of these miRNAs in cancer progression, vascular invasion and cancer immune surveillance thought the regulation of DUSP1, PD-L1 and MUC1. Taken together, these results provide the most comprehensive contribution to date towards a complete miRNome profile of blood and serum for HCC patients. We show a consistent portion of circulatory miRNAs being still unknown.

Diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target applications of miR-326 in cancers: A systematic review

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous mediators of RNA interference and have key roles in the modulation of gene expression under healthy, inflamed, stimulated, carcinogenic, or other cells, and tissues of a pathological state. Many studies have proved the association between miRNAs and cancer. The role of miR-326 as a tumor suppressor miRNA in much human cancer confirmed. We will explain the history and the role of miRNAs changes, especially miR-326 in cancers and other pathological conditions. Attuned with these facts, this review highlights recent preclinical and clinical research performed on miRNAs as novel promising diagnostic biomarkers of patients at early stages, prediction of prognosis, and monitoring of the patients in response to treatment. All related publications retrieved from the PubMed database, with keywords such as epigenetic, miRNA, microRNA, miR-326, cancer, diagnostic biomarker, and therapeutic target similar terms from 1899 to 2018 with limitations in the English language. Recently, researchers have focused on the impacts of miRNAs and their association in inflammatory, autoinflammatory, and cancerous conditions. Recent studies have suggested a major pathogenic role in cancers and autoinflammatory diseases. Investigations have explained the role of miRNAs in cancers, autoimmunity, and autoinflammatory diseases, and so on. The miRNA-326 expression has an important role in cancer conditions and other diseases.

Retracted Article: MiR-206 reduced the malignancy of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro by inhibiting MET and CTNNB1 gene expressions

The anti-cancer role of miR-206 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells has been reported, but its mechanism of action remains poorly understood.

Plasma microRNA: A novel non-invasive biomarker for HBV-associated liver fibrosis staging

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential use of 7 plasma miRNAs for liver fibrosis staging in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Relative levels of miRNAs were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and used to develop a diagnostic panel. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the performance of individual miRNAs and the whole panel. It was identified that hsa-miR-122 exhibited significantly different expression levels between F4 and F3, F2, F1, and F0 fibrosis stages (P<0.05), and between F2 and F1 stages (P=0.045); hsa-miR-146a-5p, hsa-miR-29c-3p and hsa-miR-223 exhibited significantly different expression levels between F4 and F0 stages. ROC analysis revealed that hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-223 and hsa-miR-29c-3p identified patients with ≥F2 fibrosis with area under the curve (AUC) =0.745, 0.631 and 0.670, respectively. hsa-miR-122-5p identified patients with ≥F3 disease (AUC=0.783). hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-223 and hsa-miR-29c-3p identified patients with cirrhosis with AUC=0.776, 0.617 and 0.619, respectively. The miRNA panel exhibited a higher accuracy compared with individual miRNAs in discriminating between ≥F2, ≥F3 and F4 fibrosis stages with AUC=0.904, 0.889 and 0.835, respectively. hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-29c and hsa-miR-223 were positively correlated with fibrosis stage. hsa-miR-122-5p and hsa-miR-381-3p were negatively correlated with alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and HBV viral DNA load. These 7 miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV-associated fibrosis. The miRNA panel may serve as a novel non-invasive method for liver fibrosis staging.

MicroRNA-302a-3p suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting proliferation and invasion

Background

Involvement of microRNAs in tumor development and their potential as prognostic biomarkers had been well acknowledged. However, the expression, clinical significance, and functional mechanisms of microRNA (miR)-302a-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been reported.

Patients and methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the expression of miR-302a-3p in 111 HCC tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues. Its association with clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed by the chi-square test. The Kaplan–Meier univariate survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to identify the clinical significance of miR-302a-3p in the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients. Transfection of miR-302a-3p mimics into HepG2 and Huh7 HCC cell lines was conducted to reveal its underlying mechanism in regulating HCC progression.

Results

miR-302a-3p expression was significantly decreased in HCC tissues compared with that in paired adjacent normal liver tissues (P=0.005). miR-302a-3p expression was correlated with tumor number (P=0.003), tumor size (P<0.001), and tumor TNM stage (P=0.028). The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that patients in the high miR-302a-3p expression group had a better OS than those in the low miR-302a-3p expression group (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis confirmed that miR-302a-3p expression can be used as an independent predictor for HCC prognosis (HR=0.480, 95% CI=0.249–0.894, P=0.039). Proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities were all decreased in cells transfected with miR-302a-3p mimics. Moreover, our data showed a direct effect of miR302a-3p on inhibiting the expression and signaling of PRKACB in HCC cells.

Conclusions

miR-302a-3p serves as a tumor suppressor in HCC progression by directly inhibiting tumor proliferation and invasion, and its low expression is a potential biomarker for predicting a poor prognosis of HCC patients.

microRNAs: Key players in virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known as one of the major health problems worldwide. Pathological analysis indicated that a variety of risk factors including genetical (i.e., alteration of tumor suppressors and oncogenes) and environmental factors (i.e., viruses) are involved in beginning and development of HCC. The understanding of these risk factors could guide scientists and clinicians to design effective therapeutic options in HCC treatment. Various viruses such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) via targeting several cellular and molecular pathways involved in HCC pathogenesis. Among various cellular and molecular targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) have appeared as key players in HCC progression. miRNAs are short noncoding RNAs which could play important roles as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in several malignancies such as HCC. Deregulation of many miRNAs (i.e., miR-222, miR-25, miR-92a, miR-1, let-7f, and miR-21) could be associated with different stages of HCC. Besides miRNAs, exosomes are other particles which are involved in HCC pathogenesis via targeting different cargos, such as DNAs, RNAs, miRNAs, and proteins. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of miRNAs and exosomes as important players in HCC pathogenesis. Moreover, we highlighted HCV- and HBV-related miRNAs which led to HCC progression.

MiR-17-5p may serve as a novel predictor for breast cancer recurrence

BACKGROUND

Recurrence following conventional therapies in patients with breast cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate potential predictive biomarkers for breast cancer recurrence especially microRNAs (miRNAs).

METHODS

The primary breast cancer patients who were scheduled to undergo curative resection in our hospital from May 2007 to May 2012 were recruited in this study. Clinical and pathological characteristics were compared in patients with or without recurrence. The expressions of tissue miRNAs by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were also analyzed in patients with recurrence or not. Multivariate Cox analysis was fit to evaluate potential predicative factors for breast cancer recurrence. Kaplan-Meier plots was conducted to further evaluate the association between miR-17-5p expression and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

A total of 133 consecutive patients were enrolled into the final analysis and 29 of them have suffered recurrence within 5 years after the operation. Our results revealed tissue miR-17-5p expression as an independent risk factor for breast cancer recurrence (HR: 4.45; 95% CI: 1.58-11.53, P= 0.015). Patients with a higher miR-17-5p expression was significantly associated with a worse 5-year RFS by log-rank test (p= 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that miR-17-5p might be a useful predictive factor for breast cancer recurrence.

Expression of miRNA-206 and miRNA-145 in breast cancer and correlation with prognosis

Correlation between microRNA (miRNA)-206 and miRNA-145 expression and prognosis in breast cancer was investigated. Breast cancer specimens and paracancerous tissues of 372 breast cancer patients who underwent surgical resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from September 2010 to September 2014 were included. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-206 and miR-145 in breast cancer and paracancerous tissues, and patients were divided into high and low expression groups according to the median expression level to plot survival curve. Expression levels of miR-145 and miR-206 in breast cancer tissues were 2.24±1.23 and 0.76±0.24, respectively. Expression level of miR-145 was significantly lower, while expression level of miR-206 was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in paracancerous tissues (p<0.05). The 3-year survival rates of miR-145 low expression group and miR-206 high expression group were also lower than that of miR-145 high expression group and miR-206 low expression group, respectively (p<0.05). Expression of miR-206 is upregulated and expression of miR-145 is downregulated in breast cancer, which may have an impact on the prognosis of patients. miR-206 and miR-145 may serve as important indicators to predict prognosis of patients with breast cancer in the future.

Hepatitis C virus direct-acting antivirals therapy impacts on extracellular vesicles microRNAs content and on their immunomodulating properties

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is known to cause major alterations in the cross-talk between hepatic and immune cells thus contributing to the liver disease pathogenesis. Extracellular vesicles have been proved to act as major players in cell-cell communication, and their cargo changes in relation to pathophysiological states. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic HCV infection and direct-acting antivirals (DAA) on exosome-delivered microRNAs and on their ability to modulate the innate immune response.

METHODS

Exosomes isolated from the plasma of healthy donors and naïve, viremic HCV patients before and after DAA treatment have been compared for their microRNAs cargo by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Functional assays with peripheral blood cells from healthy donors were performed to assess exosome-mediated immune responses.

RESULTS

MicroRNAs associated with HCV-related immunopathogenesis which were found to be enriched in exosomes of HCV viremic patients (in particular, miR-122-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-146a, miR-150-5p, miR-30c, miR-378a-3p and miR-20a-5p) were markedly reduced by DAA therapy. This exosome-microRNA cargo modulation parallels changes in their immunomodulatory properties in ex vivo experiments. Exosomes from HCV patients inhibit NK degranulation activity and this effect correlates with miR-122-5p or miR-222-3p levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Enrichment of immunomodulatory microRNAs in exosomes of HCV patients was correlated with their inhibitory activity on innate immune cells function. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) treatment was observed to revert both microRNA content and functional profiles of systemic exosomes towards those of healthy donors. Exosome-associated microRNAs may provide valuable biomarkers to monitor immune response recovery.

Role of miR-223 in the pathophysiology of liver diseases

MiRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs, which can regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally, and they have emerged as key factors in disease biology by aiding in disease development and progression. MiR-223 is highly conserved during evolution and it was first described as a modulator of hematopoietic lineage differentiation. MiR-223 has an essential part in inflammation by targeting the nuclear factor-κB pathway and the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome. Recent studies have shown that miR-223 expression is deregulated in various types of liver diseases, including hepatitis virus infections, alcohol-induced liver injury, drug-induced liver injury, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. As inflammatory and immune factors are involved in the occurrence and progress of liver diseases, deregulated miR-223 may participate in the pathogenesis of these conditions by influencing neutrophil infiltration, macrophage polarization, and inflammasome activation. This review first summarizes the present understanding of the biological functions of miR-223, including its gene location and transcription regulation, as well as its physiological role in hematopoietic differentiation. This review then focuses on the role of miR-223 in liver pathophysiology and its potential applications as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in liver diseases.

A tiny RNA molecule involved with gene regulation may offer an appealing target for diagnosing and treating various liver diseases. MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) was first identified as controlling gene activity in a wide variety of immune cells. A review from researchers led by Yanning Liu at China’s Zhejiang University in Hangzhou details how abnormal miR-223 also contributes to liver damage in a variety of conditions, although questions still remain about how it functions in different liver disorders. The authors highlight studies linking miR-223 with the development of fibrosis and cirrhosis, and with the inflammatory response to injury from drugs, alcohol, or infection. This could make this microRNA a useful diagnostic biomarker. The authors also identify therapeutic opportunities to modulate this molecule, referring to several studies on the manipulation of miR-223 to treat hepatitis.

miR‑30a‑5p inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells by targeting SOX4

MicroRNA (miR)‑30a‑5p has been reported to suppress the progression of hepatocellular cancer, renal cell carcinoma, oral cancer and gastric cancer. However, whether miR‑30a‑5p is involved in the regulation of melanoma remains unclear. The present study revealed that miR‑30a‑5p was downregulated in melanoma tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR‑30a‑5p significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro. In addition, ectopic expression of miR‑30a‑5p delayed tumor growth in vivo. In terms of mechanism, miR‑30a‑5p targeted sex determining region Y‑box 4 (SOX4) and impeded the expression of SOX4 in melanoma cells. In addition, SOX4 was upregulated in melanoma tissues and cell lines when compared with normal tissues or cells. Furthermore, overexpression of SOX4 significantly rescued the proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells transfected with miR‑30a‑5p mimics. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that miR‑30a‑5p suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells in SOX4‑dependent manner.

Prospects of Noncoding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health problem and one of the most common malignant tumors. Recent studies have shown that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These RNAs may be involved in a variety of pathological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, abnormal expression of ncRNAs in HCC may provide potential prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers. This review provides an overview of the role and potential applications of ncRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and snoRNAs in liver cancer.

The tumor suppressive miR-302c-3p inhibits migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting TRAF4

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as key regulators of tumorigenesis and progression. Serum miR-302c-3p expression is prominently deregulated in HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the expression of miR-302c-3p and its functional role in HBV-related HCC are rarely investigated. In this study, we found that the expression levels of miR-302c-3p were prominently down-regulated in HCC tissues compared to matched tumor-adjacent tissues. Moreover, miR-302c-3p under-expression was detected in HCC cell lines compared to a normal hepatic cell line LO2. Low miR-302c-3p expression was positively correlated with multiple tumor nodes, venous infiltration and advanced TNM tumor stage of HCC patients. Notably, our follow up data and TCGA data demonstrated that low miR-302c-3p expression predicted a poor survival of HCC patients. Functionally, miR-302c-3p overexpression inhibited migration and invasion of MHCC97H cells in vitro. Additionally, miR-302c-3p knockdown showed an opposite effect on these metastatic behaviors of HepG2 cells. MiR-302c-3p negatively regulated tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 4 (TRAF4) abundance by directly targeting 3'-UTR of TRAF4 mRNA. The expression of TRAF4 was up-regulated in HCC tissues. The level of TRAF4 mRNA was inversely correlated with miR-302c-3p expression in HCC specimens. Mechanistically, miR-302c-3p restrained AKT-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. Importantly, TRAF4 restoration reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-302c-3p on AKT-induced EMT and HCC cell metastasis. MK2206, an AKT inhibitor, inhibited miR-302c-3p knockdown-induced EMT in HepG2 cells. In summary, these results indicate that miR-302c-3p exhibits a tumor suppressive role in HCC by targeting TRAF4. Inhibition of miR-302c-3p/TRAF4 axis may serve as a therapeutic target for HCC.

MicroRNA-302c represses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by targeting transcription factor AP-4 in colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to tumorigenesis and progression via acting as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in human cancer. Aberrant expression of miR-302c has been reported in various types of cancer except colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, our study was aimed to verify the expression of miR-302c and its functional role in CRC. We found a significant reduced expression of miR-302c in CRC tissues compared to tumor-adjacent tissues. Low miR-302c level was remarkably correlated with deeper tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage. Importantly, low miR-302c expression was identified as an independent indicator for poor prognosis of CRC patients. Overexpression of miR-302c repressed migration and invasion capacities of SW620 and SW480 cells in vitro. Mechanistically, miR-302c inversely regulated transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) abundance in both SW620 and SW480 cells, and it negatively correlated with TFAP4 mRNA expression in CRC samples. Herein, TFAP4, a regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), was recognized as a direct target gene of miR-302c in CRC. Otherwise, miR-302c overexpression increased E-cadherin expression and reduced the levels of Vimentin and SNAI1, suggesting an inhibitory effect of miR-302c on EMT of CRC cells. Notably, our findings established that the EMT and metastasis of Caco-2 cells were enhanced by miR-302c knockdown, and subsequently reversed by TFAP4 silencing. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-302c represses EMT and CRC metastasis possibly by targeting TFAP4, and it may serve as a potential prognostic factor and therapeutic target for CRC.

miR-223-3p Inhibits Human Osteosarcoma Metastasis and Progression by Directly Targeting CDH6

Cadherin-6 (CDH6) is aberrantly expressed in cancer and closely associated with tumor progression. However, the functions of CDH6 in human osteosarcoma and the molecular mechanisms underlying CDH6 in osteosarcoma oncogenesis remain poorly understood. In this work, we assessed the role of CDH6 in human osteosarcoma and identified that the expression of CDH6 was closely related with the overall survival and poor prognosis of osteosarcoma patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated as important epigenetic regulators during the progression of osteosarcoma. Using dual-luciferase reporter assays, we showed that miR-223-3p suppresses CDH6 expression by directly binding to the 3' UTR of CDH6. miR-223-3p overexpression significantly inhibited cell invasion, migration, growth, and proliferation by suppressing the CDH6 expression in vivo and in vitro. Besides, CDH6 overexpression in the miR-223-3p-transfected osteosarcoma cells effectively rescued the inhibition of cell invasion, migration, growth, and proliferation mediated by miR-223-3p. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier analysis suggests that the expression of miR-223-3p predicts favorable clinical outcomes for osteosarcoma patients. Moreover, the expression of miR-223-3p was downregulated in osteosarcoma patients and was negatively associated with the expression of CDH6. Collectively, these data highlight that miR-223-3p/CDH6 axis is an important novel pleiotropic regulator and could early predict the metastatic potential in human osteosarcoma treatments.

Association of Circulating Transfer RNA fragments with antibody response to Mycoplasma bovis in beef cattle

Background

High throughput sequencing allows identification of small non-coding RNAs. Transfer RNA Fragments are a class of small non-coding RNAs, and have been identified as being involved in inhibition of gene expression. Given their role, it is possible they may be involved in mediating the infection-induced defense response in the host. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify 5′ transfer RNA fragments (tRF5s) associated with a serum antibody response to M. bovis in beef cattle.

Results

The tRF5s encoding alanine, glutamic acid, glycine, lysine, proline, selenocysteine, threonine, and valine were associated (P < 0.05) with antibody response against M. bovis. tRF5s encoding alanine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, lysine, proline, selenocysteine, threonine, and valine were associated (P < 0.05) with season, which could be attributed to calf growth. There were interactions (P < 0.05) between antibody response to M. bovis and season for tRF5 encoding selenocysteine (anticodon UGA), proline (anticodon CGG), and glutamine (anticodon TTG). Selenocysteine is a rarely used amino acid that is incorporated into proteins by the opal stop codon (UGA), and its function is not well understood.

Conclusions

Differential expression of tRF5s was identified between ELISA-positive and negative animals. Production of tRF5s may be associated with a host defense mechanism triggered by bacterial infection, or it may provide some advantage to a pathogen during infection of a host. Further studies are needed to establish if tRF5s could be used as a diagnostic marker of chronic exposure.

microRNA-302c-3p inhibits renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation by targeting Grb2-associated binding 2 (Gab2)

The expression and biological function of Grb2-associated binding 2 (Gab2) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells was tested here. We showed that Gab2 expression was significantly elevated in human RCC tissues and RCC cells. It was correlated with over-activation of Akt and downregulation of microRNA-302c-3p ("miR-302c-3p"), a putative Gab2-targeting microRNA. Knockdown of Gab2 inhibited Akt activation and 786-O RCC cell proliferation. Reversely, forced over-expression of Gab2 led to Akt hyper-activation to facilitate 786-O cell proliferation. Exogenous expression of miR-302c caused Gab2 downregulation, Akt inhibition and 786-O cell proliferation inhibition. On the other hand, miR-302c-3p depletion by expressing its anti-sense ("antagomiR-302c") led to Gab2 upregulation, Akt activation and increased 786-O cell proliferation. Significantly, miR-302c-3p failed to affect the proliferation of 786-O cells with shRNA-depleted Gab2. Together, we suggest that miR-302c-3p depletion in human RCC cells leads to Gab2 over-expression, Akt hyper-activation and cell proliferation.

Circulating miR-106b-3p, miR-101-3p and miR-1246 as diagnostic biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer and second leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Most HCCs occur in a damaged cirrhotic background and it may be difficult to discriminate between regenerative nodules and early HCCs. No dependable molecular biomarker exists for the early detection of HCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted attention as potential blood-based biomarkers. To identify circulating miRNAs with diagnostic potential in HCC, we performed preliminary RNAseq studies on plasma samples from a small set of HCC patients, cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. Then, out of the identified miRNAs, we investigated miR-101-3p, miR-106b-3p, miR-1246 and miR-411-5p in plasma of independent HCC patients' cohorts. The use of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the aberrant levels of these miRNAs. The diagnostic performances of each miRNA and their combinations were measured using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses: a classifier consisting of miR-101-3p, miR-1246 and miR-106b-3p produced the best diagnostic precision in plasma of HCC vs. cirrhotic patients (AUC = 0.99). A similar performance was found when the levels of miRNAs of HCC patients were compared to healthy controls (AUC = 1.00). We extended the analyses of the same miRNAs to serum samples. In serum of HCC vs. cirrhotic patients, the combination of miR-101-3p and miR-106b-3p exhibited the best diagnostic accuracy with an AUC = 0.96. Thus, circulating miR-101-3p, miR-106b-3p and miR-1246, either individually or in combination, exhibit a considerable potential value as diagnostic biomarkers of HCC.