Expression of miR-34a in Children with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Shiraz Pediatric Liver Cirrhosis Cohort Study

Background: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a rare progressive liver disease associated with portal hypertension leading to liver failure. Most PFIC patients ultimately need liver transplantation. Therefore, identifying a precise, non-invasive biomarker for PFIC is very important. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the microRNA-34a (miR-34a) expression levels in PFIC patients. Methods: A total of 18 PFIC patients were randomly selected from the Shiraz Pediatric Liver Cirrhosis Cohort Study (SPLCCS), and 18 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were obtained, and the gene expression of serum miR-34a was analyzed. Results: The results of this study showed that the serum level of miR-34a was significantly increased in PFIC patients, compared to the healthy group (P = 0.0327). However, no association was observed between miR-34a expression and clinical and laboratory findings of PFIC cases. Additionally, the results showed no correlation between miR-34a and serum levels of liver enzymes, albumin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and international normalized ratio (INR) among PFIC patients. Conclusions: miR-34a might be a beneficial, non-invasive target for PFIC diagnosis; however, further investigations with a larger population and longer duration are necessary to determine the potential of miR-34a as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for PFIC.