Journal of Liver

Circulating microRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for the detection of different stages of liver fibrosis in Egyptian HCV patients

3^rd World Congress on Hepatitis and Liver Diseases

October 10-12, 2016 Dubai, UAE

Eman El-Ahwany

Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Egypt

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Liver

Abstract:

Background: In liver fibrosis, miRNAs play an essential role in activating HSCs proliferation, differentiation and migration. To study regulation of genes at the miRNA level is a huge advantage as gene expression, is regulated at an epigenetic level before even proteins get formed. Aim: The aim of the study is to develop a non-invasive diagnostic tool based on measuring the serum levels of different miRNAs in order to detect HCV-induced liver fibrosis at the early stages of the disease. Patients & Methods: Subjects of the current study included 66 cases of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with early stage of fibrosis, 65 cases of CHC with stage 4 of fibrosis admitted to department of hepato-gastroenterology, TBRI. 35 subjects were included as normal controls. Five main miRNAs (miR-214, miR-221/222, miR-9, miR-125b and miR-128) were measured using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: Circulating levels of miR-214, miR-221/222, miR-9, miR-125b and miR-128 were significantly increased (P<0.01) in cases of both CHC with early stage of fibrosis and CHC with stage 4 compared to control group. Also, there was a significant increase (p<0.01) in CHC with stage 4 of fibrosis group versus CHC with early fibrosis group. Conclusions: Our data suggest that circulating miRNAs could serve as novel biomarkers for the detection and assessment of liver fibrosis.

Biography :

Eman El-Ahwany is a Professor of Immunology at Immunology and Drug Evaluation Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI). She was graduated from Faculty of Science, Cairo University in 1991. She has received her PhD in Immunology in 2001 and has worked as Teaching Assistant and Faculty (part-time) in the Biology Department, the American University in Cairo (1999-2014). She is a Member in the TBRI Technical Office and the TBRI Internal Research Projects Committee since 2011. She is a Member in the European Association of Liver Diseases (EASL). Her field of interest is miRNAs and the epigenetic changes as non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic tools in HCV-induced liver fibrosis and HCC. She has shared and worked as participant, Co-PI and PI in 20 research projects sponsored by international and national agencies, published 35 research articles in peer reviewed international journals, presented several abstracts in 30 international conferences and supervised 15 MSc and PhD thesis. She has been awarded the TBRI excellence award in 2014. She is the Coordinator of MOU between TBRI and Basque University in Spain (2016). She has obtained Post doctorate fellowships in Germany (2007) and France (2014). She has been awarded the TBRI Excellence Award in 2014.

Email: ahwany@aucegypt.edu