Baseline Circulating miR-125b Levels Predict a High FIB-4 Index Score in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients after Nucleos(t)ide Analog Treatment

Jyun-Yi Wu; Yi-Shan Tsai; Chia-Chen Li; Ming-Lun Yeh; Ching-I Huang; Chung-Feng Huang; Jia-Ning Hsu; Meng-Hsuan Hsieh; Yo-Chia Chen; Ta-Wei Liu; Yi-Hung Lin; Po-Cheng Liang; Zu-Yau Lin; Wan-Long Chuang; Ming-Lung Yu; Chia-Yen Dai

doi:10.3390/biomedicines10112824

Baseline Circulating miR-125b Levels Predict a High FIB-4 Index Score in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients after Nucleos(t)ide Analog Treatment

Biomedicines. 2022 Nov 5;10(11):2824. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10112824.

Authors

Jyun-Yi Wu¹, Yi-Shan Tsai¹, Chia-Chen Li¹, Ming-Lun Yeh^{1

2}, Ching-I Huang^{1

2}, Chung-Feng Huang^{1

2

3}, Jia-Ning Hsu¹, Meng-Hsuan Hsieh^{1

2

3

4}, Yo-Chia Chen⁵, Ta-Wei Liu¹, Yi-Hung Lin¹, Po-Cheng Liang¹, Zu-Yau Lin^{1

2}, Wan-Long Chuang^{1

2}, Ming-Lung Yu^{1

2

6}, Chia-Yen Dai^{1

2

3

4

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
² Faculty of Internal Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
³ Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
⁴ Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan.
⁶ School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
⁷ College of Professional Studies, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan.
⁸ Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.

Abstract

The regulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in HBV-associated HCC pathogenesis has been reported previously. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum miR-125b and liver fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients after nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment. Baseline serum miR-125b levels and other relevant laboratory data were measured for 124 patients who underwent 12-month NA therapy. Post-12-month NA therapy, serum miR-125, platelet, AST, and ALT levels were measured again for post-treatment FIB-4 index calculation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for a higher post-treatment FIB-4 index. Results showed that baseline miR-125b levels were inversely correlated with the post-treatment FIB-4 index (ρ = −0.2130, p = 0.0082). In logistic regression analyses, age (OR = 1.17, p < 0.0001), baseline platelet level (OR = 0.98, p = 0.0032), and ALT level (OR = 1.00, p = 0.0241) were independent predictors of FIB-index > 2.9 post-12-month treatment. The baseline miR-125b level was not significantly associated with a higher post-treatment FIB-4 index (p = 0.8992). In 59 patients receiving entecavir (ETV) monotherapy, the alternation of serum miR-125b in 12 months and age were substantially associated with a higher post-treatment FIB-4 index (>2.9), suggesting that miR-125b is a reliable biomarker for detecting early liver fibrosis under specific anti-HBV NA treatments (e.g., ETV).

Keywords: biomarker; chronic hepatitis B; fibrosis score; hepatitis B virus; miR-125b; nucleos(t)ide analogs.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Science Council of Taiwan (grant numbers MOST 109-2314-B-037-045-MY3 and 111-2314-B-037-102), the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, and Kaohsiung Medical University (NPUST kmU-111-P009).