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RETRACTED ARTICLE: The interaction between microRNA-152 and DNA methyltransferase-1 as an epigenetic prognostic biomarker in HCV-induced liver cirrhosis and HCC patients

Cancer Gene Therapy volume 27, pages 486–497 (2020)Cite this article

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This article was retracted on 22 June 2022

A Correction to this article was published on 22 February 2022

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Abstract

The necessity for early detection and hence improving the outcome of treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical especially in Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-Genotype 4 induced cases. In our current work, we examined the miRNA-152 and DNMT-1 expression in chronic liver disease (CLD) due to HCV genotype 4 infection with/without cirrhosis and HCC patients as an attempt to evaluate the potential benefits of these new circulating, noninvasive, prognostic, epigenetic markers for liver cirrhosis and carcinogenesis of Egyptian patients. Eighty subjects were included in this study, divided into two groups; group I (40 patients) were classified into subgroup Ia (CLD without cirrhosis, n = 18) and subgroup Ib (CLD with cirrhosis, n = 22), group II (CLD patients with HCC, n = 20), and control (Healthy volunteer, n = 20). The expression of miRNA-152 and DNMT-1 genes were analyzed using Real-Time PCR. MiRNA-152 showed a persistent and significant downregulation in all diseased groups, which was in consistence with the progression of the disease toward the HCC stage. DNMT-1 showed upregulation in all diseased groups when compared to control and subgroup Ia. The miRNA-152 was shown to correlate inversely with DNMT-1 in subgroup Ia, Ib and group II (r = −0.557, p < 0.01), (r = −0.850, p < 0.001) and (r = −0.544, p < 0.02) respectively. In addition, miRNA-152 and DNMT-1 showed a diagnostic ability to discriminate between cases of cirrhosis and HCC against CLD without cirrhosis (p < 0.01), while DNMT-1 did not, except between HCC and cirrhotic cases. Furthermore, both genes can be considered as predictor and prognostic parameters for cirrhosis (OR = 1.041, p = 0.043) and (OR = 1.039, p = 0.04) respectively, while miRNA-152 alone is proved as a prognostic marker for HCC (OR = 1.003, p = 0.044). Finally, the persistent reverse correlation between miRNA-152 with DNMT-1 prompts their use as noninvasive prognostic biomarkers for HCV induced liver cirrhosis and HCC in HCV Genotype 4 patients.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to all anonymous donors of the blood samples used in this study. Dr. Mahmoud Khalifa, mahmoud.khalifa@azhar.edu.eg, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, in addition of his co-authorship participation, provided valuable help in writing the manuscript and editing the revised manuscript, both for language as well as scientific issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Assistant Researcher of Molecular Biology, Central Lab, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Ministry of Scientific Research, Gizah, Egypt

    Rady E. El-Araby

  2. Assistant Prof. of Molecular Biology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mahmoud A. Khalifa

  3. Prof. of Clinical pathology (Immunology), Immunology Research Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Ministry of Scientific Research, Gizah, Egypt

    Mona M. Zoheiry

  4. Prof. of Hematology, Clinical Laboratory, Research Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Ministry of Scientific Research, Gizah, Egypt

    Manal Y. Zahran & Faiza M. Essawy

  5. Prof. of Cytochemistry and Histochemistry, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed I. Rady

  6. Prof. of Hepatoastroenterology, Hepatoastroenterology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Ministry of Scientific Research, Gizah, Egypt

    Raafat A. Ibrahim & Mohamed D. El-Talkawy

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  1. Rady E. El-Araby
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Correspondence to Rady E. El-Araby.

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This article has been retracted. Please see the retraction notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41417-022-00496-9

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El-Araby, R.E., Khalifa, M.A., Zoheiry, M.M. et al. RETRACTED ARTICLE: The interaction between microRNA-152 and DNA methyltransferase-1 as an epigenetic prognostic biomarker in HCV-induced liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. Cancer Gene Ther 27, 486–497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41417-019-0123-9

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