Differential expression of angiogenesis-related miRNAs and VEGFA in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Archives of medical science Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 1150 - 1157
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, André R C P, Castanhole-Nunes, Márcia M U, Biselli-Chicote, Patrícia M, Pavarino, Érika C, da Silva, Rita de C M A, da Silva, Renato F, Goloni-Bertollo, Eny M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Termedia Publishing House 2020
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Basic Research; Gene expression; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; MicroRNAs; microRNAs; liver diseases; biomarkers; VEGFA
• ISSN: 1734-1922; 1896-9151
• DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2020.97967

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a heterogeneous liver disease, the last stage of liver fibrosis, and the major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs and the endothelial vascular growth factor (
) gene in LC and HCC.
The sample group consisted of 46 tissue samples: 21 of LC, 15 of HCC, and 10 of non-tumoural and non-cirrhotic liver tissue (control group). MiRNAs were chosen based on a mirDIP prediction database as regulators of the
gene. Gene expression of VEGF and miRNAs was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. VEGFA protein expression was evaluated by ELISA.
gene expression was significantly overexpressed in LC compared to the control group (
< 0.0001). Hsa-miR-206 (
= 0.0313) and hsa-miR-637 (
= 0.0156) were down-expressed in LC. In HCC, hsa-miR-15b (
= 0.0010), hsa-miR-125b (
= 0.0010), hsa-miR-423-3p (
= 0.0010), hsa-miR-424 (
= 0.0313), hsa-miR-494 (
< 0.0001), hsa-miR-497 (
< 0.0001), hsa-miR-612 (
= 0.0078), hsa-miR-637 (
< 0.0001), and hsa-miR-1255b (
= 0.0156) presented down-expression.
Overexpression of
in LC suggests impairment of angiogenesis in this tissue. The differential expression of microRNAs in LC and HCC observed in our study can lead to the evaluation of possible biomarkers for these diseases.