the emerging role of circular rna homeodomain interacting protein kinase 3 and circular rna 0046367 through wnt/beta-catenin pathway on the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in egyptian patients

Background: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a major problem worldwide that needs non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment response assessment. we aimed to assess the correlation between circrna-hipk3 and mirna-29a expression and its role as mirna-29a sponge, as well as the correlation between circrna-0046367 and mirna-34a expression and its role as mirna-34a sponge and their effect on regulation of the wnt/β catenin pathway, which may provide a new target for treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.methods: the research was performed on 110 participants: group (i): fifty-five healthy donors served as controls and group (ii): fifty-five patients with fatty liver pattern on abdominal ultrasound. lipid profile and liver functions were assessed. rt-pcr was performed to assess the rnas: circrna-hipk3, circrna-0046367, mirna-29a, mirna-34a and wnt mrna gene expression. elisa was performed to determine β-catenin protein levels.results: mirna-34a and circrna-hipk3 expression were significantly greater, while mirna-29a and circrna-0046367 expression were significantly less, in patients than in controls. wnt/β-catenin regulated by mirna-29a and mirna-34a showed a significant decrease that leads to its abnormal effect on lipid metabolism.conclusions: our results imply that mirna-29a can be investigated as a target for circrna-hipk3, while mirna-34a can be investigated as a target for circrna-0046367, and that circrna-hipk3 and circrna-0046367 may have emerging roles that can affect the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis through the wnt/β-catenin pathway and thus be used as therapeutic targets for the disease.