Circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers of physical activity in geriatric patients with HCV

Circulating microRNAs have been implicated in a diverse array of biological and pathological phenomena. Their potential utility as noninvasive biomarkers for screening and diagnosing various diseases has been proposed.

This study aimed to explore the potential role of the miRNAs miR-122 and miR-486 as molecular biomarkers in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thus, miR-122 and miR-486 were detected in the serum of HCV patients and healthy controls. Moreover, the potential correlations of miR-122 and miR-486 with viral complications, such as physical activity, pain, muscle fatigue, and HCV infection, were identified.

A total of 150 subjects aged 30 to 66 years were included in this study. The patients were classified as patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (CHC) (n = 110) or healthy controls (n = 40). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were performed to determine miR-122 and miR-486 expression. Physical activity (PA), pain score, HCV genotyping, viral overload, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), and antioxidant status were also estimated by using prevalidated questionnaires, PCR, and spectrophotometric analyses.

Compared with those in normal controls, significant increases in the serum levels of miR-122 and miR-486 were reported in patients with CHC. In physically active CHC patients, there was a significant correlation between the expression of miRNAs and increased alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), fibrosis scores, and inflammation activity, but no association was reported for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA or viral load. Additionally, significant decreases in LDH, CK, GSSG, and pain scores and increases in TAC, GSH, and the GSH/GSSG ratio were reported. Moreover, the expression of miR-122 and miR-486 was positively correlated with changes in body mass index (BMI) and liver fibrosis stage, as well as negatively correlated with sex, PA, TAC, GSH, GSSG, and the GSH/GSSG ratio.

MiR-122 and miR-486 expression levels were strongly correlated with physical activity, pain perception, and muscle fatigue biomarkers in HCV-infected patients. These miRNA levels were associated with elevated AST, ALT, fibrosis scores, LDH, CK, and antioxidant status, thus suggesting their potential as biomarkers for disease severity and oxidative stress. However, no correlation was observed with viral load or HCV-RNA expression, thus implying that these miRNAs may impact disease progression and symptoms through host factors, rather than directly affecting viral replication. In summary, the results demonstrated that molecular studies of miR-22 and miR-468 and their associations with PA, pain, adiposity, sex differences, and muscle fatigue, as well as routine biomarkers, could be useful as prognostic nanoninvasive biomarkers, thus providing novel therapeutic targets for CHC infection.