Background: MicroRNA-122 is a liver specific microRNA and is elevated in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatic microRNA-122 levels have been described to be reduced in patients with non-response to antiviral treatment with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin.
Aim: Assessment of differences in serum microRNA-122 levels in patients with sustained virological response and non-response.
Methods: RNA was extracted from pretreatment serum samples and microRNA-122 and microRNA-16 levels were measured by quantitative PCR and compared in patients with sustained virological response and non-response.
Results: The levels of microRNA-122 and microRNA-16 in the sera did not differ between patients with sustained virological response and non-response.
Conclusion: Serum microRNA-122 is not a suitable marker for treatment response prediction to combination therapy with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Copyright © 2011 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.