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Stellate cell expression of SPARC-related modular calcium-binding protein 2 is associated with human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease severity

ABSTRACT: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are the hepatic manifestations of metabolic syndrome. Histological assessment of liver biopsies is the gold standard for diagnosis of NASH. A Liver biopsy is resource heavy and can lead to complications such as bleeding and, moreover, does not fully capture the tissue heterogeneity of the fibrotic liver. Therefore, non-invasive biomarkers that can reflect an integrated state of the liver is highly needed to improve diagnosis and sampling bias. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are central in development of hepatic fibrosis, a hallmark of NASH. Secreted HSC-specific proteins may, therefore, reflect disease state in the NASH liver and thereby serve as non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers. We performed RNA-sequencing on liver biopsies from a discovery cohort (n = 30) of histological characterised obese patients (body mass index > 35 kg/m2) to identify and evaluate HSC-specific genes encoding secreted proteins. Bioinformatical analysis was used to identify potential biomarkers and their expression at single-cell resolution. We validated our findings by single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) and ELISA to detect mRNA in liver tissue and protein levels in plasma, respectively. Hepatic expression of SPARC-related modular calcium-binding protein 2 (SMOC2) was increased in NASH (steatosis ≥ 1, lobular inflammation ≥ 1, and hepatocyte ballooning ≥ 1) compared no-NAFLD (p.adj < 0.001). Single-cell RNA-sequencing data indicated SMOC2 expression by HSCs, which was validated using smFISH. Moreover, plasma SMOC2 was elevated in NASH compared to no-NAFLD (p < 0.001) with a predictive accuracy of AUROC 0.88. In conclusion, we propose increased SMOC2 in plasma reflects HSC activation, a key cellular event associated with NASH progression, and may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of NASH.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE207310 | GEO | 2022/11/02

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background & Aims: Overnutrition is one of the major causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Besides the quantity of consumed calories, distinct dietary components are increasingly recognized as important contributor to the pathogenesis of NASH. We aimed to develop and characterize a hitherto missing murine model which resembles both the pathology and nutritional situation of NASH-patients in Western societies. Methods: We developed a NASH-inducing diet (ND) enriched with sucrose, cholesterol and a high concentration of fats rich in saturated fatty acids in a composition which mimics Western food. C57Bl6/N mice were fed with the ND or control chow for 12 weeks. Biochemical, real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western Blot and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to characterize systemic and hepatic changes induced by ND-feeding. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess c-Jun levels and activation in 110 human NAFLD and control liver specimens applying tissue micro array technology. Results: ND-fed mice showed significant body weight gain, impaired glucose tolerance, elevated fasting blood glucose levels as well as decreased adiponectin and increased leptin serum levels compared to control mice. In the liver, ND-feeding led to marked steatosis, enhanced cholesterol levels, distinct signs of oxidative stress, hepatocellular damage, inflammation, activation of hepatic stellate cells, and beginning fibrosis. Transcriptome-wide hepatic gene expression analysis comparing ND-fed mice and control mice indicated main alterations in lipid metabolism and inflammatory processes. Search for over-represented transcription factor target sites among the differentially expressed genes identified AP-1 as the most likely factor to cause the transcriptional changes in ND-livers. Combining differentially expressed gene and protein-protein interaction network analysis identified c-Jun (a component of the AP-1 complex) as hub in the largest connected deregulated sub-network in ND-livers. In accordance, ND-livers revealed c-Jun-phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Moreover, hepatic c-Jun RNA and protein expression was enhanced in ND-fed compared to control mice. Also NAFLD-patients showed enhanced hepatic c-Jun levels, which correlated with inflammation, and notably, with the degree of hepatic steatosis. Conclusions: The new dietary mouse-model shows important pathological changes also found in human NASH and indicates c-jun/AP-1 activation as critical regulator of hepatic alterations. Abundance of c-jun in NAFLD likely facilitates development and progression of NASH, and thus, c-jun appears as attractive prognostic and therapeutic target of NAFLD progression. 14-weeks old male C57BL/6N mice were fed with either regular diet or a newly designed NASH-inducing diet for 12 weeks. Hepatic gene expression levels were measured thereafter.

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Stellate cell expression of SPARC-related modular calcium-binding protein 2 is associated with human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease severity

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