Liver Graft MicroRNAs Expression in Different Etiology of Acute Jaundice after Living Donor Liver Transplantation

oleh: Shu-Hsien Lin, Kun-Ta Wu, Chih-Chi Wang, Kuang-Tzu Huang, Kuang-Den Chen, Li-Wen Hsu, Hock-Liew Eng, King-Wah Chiu

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-08-01

Deskripsi

<b>Background:</b> Acute jaundice remains a critical problem following liver transplantation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in regulating gene expression related to various disease phenotypes and statuses. <b>Aims:</b> To differentiate acute jaundice etiology after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we examined the hepatic miRNA expression patterns in several liver graft pathologies. <b>Methods:</b> Eighty liver transplant recipients undergoing post-LDLT graft biopsy for the evaluation of acute jaundice were enrolled in this 1-year prospective study. Using a real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction profiling assay, we identified hepatic miRNA (miRNA-122, miRNA-301, miRNA-133a, and miRNA-21) signatures in various allografts pathologies. <b>Results:</b> Pathologic findings of the 80 recipients were as follows: acute cholangitis (AC), 37 (46%); acute rejection (AR), 20 (25%); recurrent hepatitis (RH), 12 (15%); non-specific pathological change, 6 (8%); and fatty change (FC), 5 (6%). None of these identified hepatic miRNAs expression pattern was significantly correlated with serum parameters, including neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. In AC, hepatic miRNA-122, miRNA-301, miRNA-133a, and miRNA-21 expression was significantly downregulated (<i>p</i> < 0.05). MicroRNA-122 expression was elevated in cases of AR and RH (<i>p</i> < 0.05); miRNA-301 and miRNA-21 expression was higher in RH than in AC (<i>p</i> < 0.05); and miRNA-133a expression was higher in FC than in AR (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> Our study suggests that specific hepatic miRNA expression patterns as a checklist may be useful for differential diagnosis of acute jaundice following liver transplantation.