Published online May 7, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i17.1973
Peer-review started: December 7, 2020
First decision: January 10, 2021
Revised: January 23, 2021
Accepted: March 10, 2021
Article in press: March 10, 2021
Published online: May 7, 2021
Processing time: 142 Days and 12.9 Hours
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease that mostly affects women. Fatigue and persistent pruritus are the most obvious symptoms. PBC may lead to cholestasis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and, eventually, liver failure. The injury mechanism of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells is the key to investigating the pathogenesis of PBC, but the accurate relationship between cholestasis and liver fibrosis is still indistinct.
To explore the target genes of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cell injury in PBC. To search for plasma biomarkers for early diagnosis and staging of PBC. To lay a foundation for further study on the pathogenesis of PBC.
To explore the potential diagnosis and staging value of plasma S100 calcium binding protein A6 (S100A6) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), LINC00312, LINC00472, and LINC01257 in primary biliary cholangitis.
The up-regulation of S100A6 was identified by double immunofluorescence in a bile duct ligation mouse model. We used quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to analyze the relative expression levels of S100A6 mRNA, long noncoding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs) LINC00312, LINC00472 and LINC01257 both in patients with PBC and in human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells treated with glycochenodeoxycholate.
The relative expression levels of S100A6 mRNA, LINC00472 and LINC01257 were up-regulated while LINC00312 was down-regulated in both the plasma of patients with PBC and in human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells treated with glyco-chenodeoxycholate.
These four genes may potentially act as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of PBC. Moreover, LINC00472 acts as a biomarker for staging in PBC.
Although we have demonstrated that S100A6 and related lncRNAs may be biomarkers for the diagnosis and staging of PBC, their detailed value needs to be analyzed in a large sample. The specific mechanisms of S100A6 and lncRNAs require further investigation.