SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOMARKERS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. A liver biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis of the disease, but due to the invasiveness of this method, this cost is not suitable for mass screening. Existing laboratory tests do not adequately meet the requirements for early detection of the pathological process during the initial examination of patients with suspected NAFLD. At the same time, it is very important to identify patients in the early stages of the development of NAFLD. In recent years, the attention of researchers has been focused on expanding knowledge about the mechanism of NAFLD development and new diagnostic methods. According to the results of the research, the development and progression of NAFLD is regulated by epigenetic factors, in particular, by the family of microribonuclein acids (miRNA, miR), which, in turn, have high diagnostic and prognostic value. This article reviews the PubMed databases, discusses the potential role of microRNAs in hepatic lipid metabolism, and their importance in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The possibility of using microRNAs (miRNA-16, miRNA-21, miRNA-34a, miRNA-103, miRNA-122, miRNA-145, miRNA-192 and other types) as promising biomarkers for minimally invasive diagnosis of NAFLD, assessment of the level and stage of activity of steatosis and fibrosis, and as prognostic markers of the diseases are considered.