Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025
Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method
Published on: October 23, 2018
Circulating microRNAs Are Associated With Metabolic Markers in Adolescents With Hepatosteatosis
Haixia Lin1,2, Kelly E Mercer1,2,3, Xiawei Ou1,2,3,4
1Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States.
Background:
Altered hepatic microRNA (miRNA) expression may play a role in the development of insulin resistance (IR) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Circulating miRNAs could mirror the liver metabolism.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum miRNA profile in children with obesity, IR, and NAFLD.
Methods:
Adolescents with obesity (n = 31) were stratified based on insulin resistance and NAFLD status. One-hundred seventy-nine miRNAs were determined in the serum by quantitative RT-PCR. Differentially expressed miRNAs were compared between groups, and log-transformed levels correlated with metabolic markers and intrahepatic triglyceride.
Results:
Serum miR-21-5p, -22-3p, -150-5p, and -155-5p levels were higher in children with IR and NAFLD, and their expression levels correlated with hepatic fat and serum triglyceride. In patients with NAFLD, miR-155-5p correlated with ALT (r = 0.68, p<0.01) and AST (r = 0.64, p<0.01) and miR-21-5p and -22-3p levels correlated with plasma adiponectin (r = -0.71 and r = -0.75, respectively, p<0.05) and fibroblast growth factor-21 (r = -0.73 and r = -0.89, respectively, p<0.01). miR-27-3a level was higher in children without IR and NAFLD.
Conclusions:
Several miRNAs are differentially expressed in children with IR and NAFLD. Determining their mechanistic roles may provide newer diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets for pediatric NAFLD.
