MicroRNAs as controlled systems and controllers in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multi-faceted condition including simple steatosis alone or associated with inflammation and ballooning (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) and eventually fibrosis. The NAFLD incidence has increased over the last twenty years becoming the most frequent chronic liver disease in industrialized countries. Obesity, visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and many other disorders that characterize metabolic syndrome are the major predisposing risk factors for NAFLD. Furthermore, different factors, including genetic background, epigenetic mechanisms and environmental factors, such as diet and physical exercise, contribute to NAFLD development and progression. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that specific microRNAs expression profiles are strongly associated with several pathological conditions including NAFLD. In NAFLD, microRNA deregulation in response to intrinsic genetic or epigenetic factors or environmental factors contributes to metabolic dysfunction. In this review we focused on microRNAs role both as controlled and controllers molecules in NAFLD development and/or their eventual value as non-invasive biomarkers of disease.

Keywords: Liver steatosis, Fibrosis, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, MicroRNAs

Core tip: Genetic background, epigenetic mechanisms and environmental factors contribute to Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development and progression. Among epigenetic mechanisms microRNAs are the most studied in NAFLD, contributing to metabolic dysfunction and liver damage. As during the last five years several authors investigated the role of microRNAs as potential therapeutic targets and/or non-invasive biomarkers we believe that this mini-review could be a good tool for researchers that critically approach this topic.