ABSTRACT: Background & Aims: Gynura japonica-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is closely related with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and the prevalence is on the rise worldwide in recent years. However, there is no effective therapy for PA-induced HSOS in clinic, which is partially caused by the failure of quick diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to identify blood miRNAs signatures as the potential biomarkers for PA-induced HSOS in clinic. Methods: Microarray-based miRNA profiling was performed on blood samples of the discovery cohort, i.e. 9 HSOS patients and 9 healthy donors. The differentially expressed miRNAs were further confirmed using a validation cohort of 20 independent HSOS patients. In addition, rat model was also established by orally administration of total alkaloids extract (TA) from G. japonica to investigate the association of miRNAs biomarkers with the progression of HSOS. Bioinformatic analysis, including GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis, correlation analysis, etc., were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the potential miRNA biomarkers. Results: Three miRNAs, namely miR-148a-3p, miR-362-5p, and miR-194-5p, were over-expressed in PA-induced HSOS patients and rats. They were positively related to the severity of liver injury and displayed considerable diagnostic accuracy for HSOS patients with areas under the curve (AUC) over 0.87. Conclusions: In summary, the present study demonstrated that 3 miRNAs, i.e. hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-362-5p, and hsa-miR-194-5p, might serve as potential biomarkers for PA-induced HSOS in clinic. Conclusions: In summary, the present study demonstrated that 3 miRNAs, i.e. hsa-miR-148a-3p, hsa-miR-362-5p, and hsa-miR-194-5p, might serve as potential biomarkers for PA-induced HSOS in clinic.
