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Research Project: Impact of Maternal Influence and Early Dietary Factors on Child Growth, Development, and Metabolic Health

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Title: Circulating miRNA signatures associated with NAFLD in obese adolescents

Author
item LIN, HAIXIA - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS)
item TAS, EMIR - Arkansas Children'S Hospital
item BORSHEIM, ELISABET - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS)
item SPRAY, BEVERLY - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item MERCER, KELLY - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Accumulating evidence indicates circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) potentially play important roles in metabolic organ crosstalk, thereby acting as non-invasive biomarkers or indicators for diagnosis and progression of non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we aimed to investigate serum miRNA signatures of obesity-associated NAFLD in adolescents and identify circulating miRNA markers to improve the risk prediction of NAFLD in obese children. Thirty-five, obese (BMI= 95th percentile), adolescents were recruited from a weight management clinic. Fasting blood sampling and liver MRI for hepatic fat quantification were performed at the initial visit and a 6-month follow up visit. Serum miRNA signatures were determined by quantitative RT-PCR-based miRNA array (180 microRNAs) and their associations with clinical indices, i.e. ALT, HOMA-IR, were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Profiled miRNAs were assessed using ROC curve analysis to discriminate NAFLD (hepatic fat = 5%) versus non-NAFLD (hepatic fat < 5%). Seven miRNA expressions, miR-150, -221,-155,-122, -24a, -21, and -34a were significantly increased in the NAFLD group compared to the non-NAFLD group (p<0.05). Of them, miR-34a and miR-122 were positively correlated with ALT levels (p <0.05) and are potential discriminators between NAFLD and non-NALFD (AUC = 0.782, p= 0.005 for miR-34a, AUC= 0.741, p=0.016 for miR-122). Interestingly, mir-21 was highly expressed (5.6-fold) in the NAFLD group at the 6-month follow up compared to the initial visit (p <0.05), which is associated with steatohepatitis. These findings support the use of miRNAs as biomarkers for NALFD-diagnosis and progression in adolescents.