The ins and outs of microRNAs as biomarkers in liver disease and transplantation

• Published in: Transplant international Vol. 27; no. 12; pp. 1222 - 1232
• Main Authors: Farid, Waqar R. R., Verhoeven, Cornelia J., Jonge, Jeroen, Metselaar, Herold J., Kazemier, Geert, Laan, Luc J. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - surgery; Forecasting; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; hepatitis B, C – infection; Hepatitis C, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis C, Chronic - diagnosis; Hepatitis C, Chronic - surgery; Humans; ischemia reperfusion injury – organ preservation and procurement; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Liver Diseases - blood; Liver Diseases - diagnosis; Liver Neoplasms - diagnosis; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Liver Transplantation; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - analysis; molecular diagnostic; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - diagnosis; outcome – liver clinical; Predictive Value of Tests; Recurrence; RNA Stability; solid tumors – malignancies and long term compliations; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Transplants & implants; molecular diagnostic; ischemia reperfusion injury - organ preservation and procurement; hepatitis B, C - infection; outcome - liver clinical; solid tumors - malignancies and long term compliations
• DOI: 10.1111/tri.12379
• ISSN: 0934-0874

Summary Ongoing research is being conducted in the field of transplantation to discover novel, noninvasive biomarkers for assessment of graft quality before transplantation and monitoring of graft injury after transplantation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are among the most promising in this field. MiRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that function as important regulators of gene expression in response to cellular stress and disease. An advantage that makes miRNAs attractive candidates for biomarker research is their fast release from cells in response to stress and injury, which can occur via different routes. In the context of liver transplantation (LT), noninvasive measurement and stability of extracellular miRNAs in blood, bile, and graft perfusates has been linked to cell‐type specific injury and early graft outcome following LT. Furthermore, specific intrahepatic miRNA expression patterns have been associated with graft survival and recurrent disease, like hepatitis C virus‐related fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, miRNAs with strong predictive value and high sensitivity and specificity might be successfully applied to assess hepatic injury and to diagnose (recurrent) liver disease before, during and after LT. In this review, the current features and future prospects of miRNAs as biomarkers in and out of the liver are discussed.