Abstract
BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a major problem worldwide that needs non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment response assessment. We aimed to assess the correlation between circRNA-HIPK3 and miRNA-29a expression and its role as miRNA-29a sponge, as well as the correlation between circRNA-0046367 and miRNA-34a expression and its role as miRNA-34a sponge and their effect on regulation of the Wnt/β catenin pathway, which may provide a new target for treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. METHODS: the research was performed on 110 participants: group (I): fifty-five healthy donors served as controls and group (II): fifty-five patients with fatty liver pattern on abdominal ultrasound. Lipid profile and liver functions were assessed. RT-PCR was performed to assess the RNAs: circRNA-HIPK3, circRNA-0046367, miRNA-29a, miRNA-34a and Wnt mRNA gene expression. ELISA was performed to determine β-catenin protein levels. RESULTS: miRNA-34a and circRNA-HIPK3 expression were significantly greater, while miRNA-29a and circRNA-0046367 expression were significantly less, in patients than in controls. Wnt/β-catenin regulated by miRNA-29a and miRNA-34a showed a significant decrease that leads to its abnormal effect on lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: our results imply that miRNA-29a can be investigated as a target for circRNA-HIPK3, while miRNA-34a can be investigated as a target for circRNA-0046367, and that circRNA-HIPK3 and circRNA-0046367 may have emerging roles that can affect the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and thus be used as therapeutic targets for the disease.