Identification and evaluation of novel non-invasive biomarkers for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

GIRAUDI PABLO; GAMBARO SABRINA ELIANA; CHACKELEVICIUS CARLA; GIURICIN M.; CROCE LORY; BONAZZA D; MASUTTI F; BELGRANO M; TIRIBELLI CLAUDIO; PALMISANO S; ROSSO NATALIA

Modena

Encuentro; Monotematica AISF 2015 "NASH: MALATTIA EPATICA, ONCOLOGICA E CARDIOVASCOLARE?; 2015

Associazione Italiana per lo studio del fegato

Background: Currently, the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD/NASH relies on the liver biopsy. However, during the initial phase of the disease, liver biopsy is not always indicated. Reliable non-invasive tools for assessing the fibrogenesis are still missing. Aims: Identify novel biomarkers by in silico studies and validate their specificity in serum of a NAFLD cohort. Methods: Protein-protein interaction data were used to build by in silico, a biological network among the interested genes: CK-18, IBP3, LCP1, UBE4B, HACTA, and MMP2. From this study, the soluble mediators: CD44, SPARC and IGF2 were selected as candidate biomarkers with clinical relevance. Gene expression was assessed both in liver and blood by qPCR, and the plasmatic concentration of CD44 and SPARC was measured by ELISA. 45 adult morbid obese patients (BMI> 35 kg/m 2 ; age range: 19-63) that underwent bariatric surgery during which wedge liver biopsy was taken. Exclusion criteria were alcohol consumption, HBV/HCV possitive, known chronic liver disease. Biopsy was scored according to Brunt?s fibrosis criteria. Results: Gene expression of the liver showed that both IGF2 and SPARC correlated positively with the fibrosis score. Moreover, IGF2 allows to distinguish significantly between stage 0 vs. 1 (1.0[0.9-1.1] vs. 3.8[2.4-5.2], respectively, p