Hepatic disease biomarkers and liver transplantation: what is the potential utility of microRNAs?

Liver transplantation represents the treatment of choice for acute hepatic failure or chronically induced end stage of liver disease. Molecular characterization of hepatic injury and recovery processes encloses the key for biomarker discovery in the liver transplantation field. Several pathological hepatic processes were demonstrated to be associated with deregulated miRNA profiles. Moreover, abnormal concentration levels of circulating cell-free miRNAs correlate with specific hepatic injury. The high molecular stability and emerging rapid assessment techniques invite further consideration of miRNAs as feasible monitoring and outcome predictive biomarkers for liver disease and liver transplantation. The present review aims to provide an overview of recent achievements in research on the potential applicability of miRNAs as biomarkers in liver disease and liver transplantation.