Jones Keaton R, Nabinger Sarah C, Lee Sangbin, Sahu Smiti Snigdha, Althouse Sandra, Saxena Romil, Johnson Mathew S, Chalasani Naga, Gawrieh Samer, Kota Janaiah
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Departments of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
J Surg Oncol. 2018 Sep;118(3):431-439. doi: 10.1002/jso.25156. Epub 2018 Aug 4.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) exhibit lower tumor microRNA-26a (miR-26a) expression which is associated with worse outcomes. It is unknown if similar miR-26a loss occurs in HCC developed in other liver diseases. We examined tumor miR-26a expression and its impact on recurrence and mortality in a North American HCC cohort.
MiR-26a levels from tumor and surrounding nontumor liver tissue in 186 subjects were collected. We defined lower tumor expression of miR-26a as <1-fold that of the adjacent nontumor liver tissue.
Viral hepatitis (42%; 40% hepatitis C and 2% HBV), alcohol (19%), and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (18%) were the most common causes of liver disease. The prevalence of lower tumor miR-26a expression was 68%, and it was evident in HCCs arising in all etiologies (viral hepatitis 60%, alcohol 61%, and NAFLD 76%). Subjects with lower tumor miR-26a expression had significantly higher tumor recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18 to 5.1; P = 0.016) and higher mortality of borderline significance (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.94 to 2.41; P = 0.086).
Reduced miR-26a expression is a common phenomenon in HCC arising in North American patients with different underlying liver diseases and may increase recurrence and mortality after surgery.
