Hepatic miR-122 expression correlated with IL-28B genetic polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with living donor liver transplantation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) remains problematic. The genetic and molecular characteristics of patients may affect HCC recurrence. We evaluated the effects of microRNA-122 (miR-122) and interleukin-28B (IL-28B) genetic polymorphisms on patients with HCC following LDLT in 60 patients. MiR-122 and IL-28B polymorphisms were evaluated in plasma and liver tissues after LDLT. HBV, HCV, dual HBV/HCV infection, and non-B non-C were detected in 26, 22, 3, and 9 patients, respectively, over a median follow-up time of 20.5 (10–33) months. miR-122 was significantly higher in the liver than in the plasma of patients with HBV, HCV, dual HBV/HCV, and non-B non-C. Hepatic miR-122 expression was significantly higher for genotype TT and genotype TT plus GT (p = 0.005) compared with genotype GG of IL-28B rs8099917 and significantly higher in > 6% fatty liver than in < 5% or no fatty liver. In conclusion, high hepatic miR-122 was correlated with the IL-28B rs8099917 genotypes TT and GT and with > 6% fatty liver and, thus, may play a major role in HCC.