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Serum sphingomyelin has potential to reflect hepatic injury in chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Su-Jun Zheng1, Feng Qu2, Jun-Feng Li3

  • 1Artificial Liver Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
|January 28, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Serum sphingolipids are linked to liver injury in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Specific sphingomyelin (SM) compounds, like SM(d18:1/24:0), may serve as biomarkers for hepatic injury and cirrhosis.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Hepatology
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global health concern.
  • Hepatic injury and cirrhosis are serious complications of chronic HBV infection.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying liver damage in HBV is crucial for developing new diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum sphingolipid profiles and the severity of hepatic injury in patients with chronic HBV infection.
  • To identify potential serum biomarkers for liver damage and cirrhosis in the context of chronic HBV.

Main Methods:

  • Serum samples from healthy individuals and patients with chronic HBV infection (including chronic hepatitis B and HBV-related cirrhosis) were analyzed.
  • High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was employed to quantify serum sphingolipids.
  • Liver biopsy data and clinical indicators, such as the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, were correlated with sphingolipid levels.

Main Results:

  • Eighteen out of twenty-four detected serum sphingolipids showed significant differences between healthy controls and chronic HBV-infected individuals.
  • Fourteen sphingolipids were significantly different between chronic hepatitis B and HBV-related cirrhosis groups.
  • Sphingomyelin (SM) compound SM(d18:1/24:0) demonstrated a negative correlation with MELD score and was associated with inflammation grades in liver biopsies.

Conclusions:

  • Serum sphingolipids are closely related to hepatic injury in chronic HBV infection.
  • SM(d18:1/24:0) shows potential as a non-invasive serum biomarker for assessing liver damage and disease progression in chronic HBV patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
MELD scorecirrhosishepatic injuryhepatitis B virusliver biopsysphingolipids

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