miRNA-574-5p and miRNA-522 as Potential Biomarkers in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) forms a global health burden with prominent incidence rates exceeding 26%, possessing a versatile spectrum of presentations starting from benign liver steatosis and deteriorating to hepatic fibrosis and even cirrhosis. In our study, we aimed to be the first to investigate the serum concentrations of miR-574-5p and miR-522 in individuals with NAFLD and link them to obesity and dyslipidemia. Eighty participants were enrolled in our study and split into two groups: The first group included 40 individuals diagnosed with NAFLD via clinical, imaging, and laboratory procedures (24 males and 16 females). The second group involved 40 healthy controls (22 males and 18 females). Venous blood samples were collected from all subjects. The miR-574-5p and miR-522 serum expressions were evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Our study data revealed a marked reduction in the mean miR-574 expression levels simultaneous with an increase in the mean level of miR-522 expression in NAFLD cases compared to controls (p < 0.001), as for the specificity and sensitivity tests for the miR-522 and miR-574-5p markers, they revealed sensitivities of 80% and 100%, respectively, along with specificities of 100% and 95%, respectively, at cutoff values of 1.136 and 0.891, respectively. The p value for both markers is less than 0.001. Serum miR-574-5p and miR-522 could serve as promising biomarkers in diagnosing NAFLD.