A panel of miRNAs in serum extracellular vesicles serves as novel diagnostic biomarkers for MASLD
Moran Hu, Hai Huang, Meng Jia, Min Xu, Malin Chen, Wu JunXiang, Shouyong Gu, Hongwei Liang, Hongwen Zhou, Yingyun Gong
Abstract
The rising global prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) poses a growing challenge to healthcare systems, stimulating substantial research efforts to develop reliable diagnostic methodologies. Emerging evidence highlights extracellular vesicles (EVs) as promising non-invasive biomarkers due to their roles in metabolic regulation and disease progression. This study investigated the diagnostic potential of serum EV-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) for MASLD detection and staging. We developed a novel diagnostic approach combining wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-coupled magnetic beads for EV capture with RT-qPCR analysis, creating a streamlined two-step protocol that eliminates conventional purification requirements. MiR-574-3p, miR-542-3p, and miR-200a-3p in serum EVs were significantly elevated in patients with MASLD, indicating their potential as non-invasive biomarkers. Here, our established platform offers a clinically feasible solution for EVs isolation and quantitative miRNA analysis, presenting significant advantages in diagnostic efficiency and practical implementation.