Our data demonstrated an alteration of miR-146a and intracellular cholesterol expression in PBMCs and of IFNα concentration in sera of genotype 1, HCV-infected patients compared to the healthy donors.
Further investigation demonstrated that the miR-146a-5p level was consistently increased in HCV-infected hepatocyte-like cells and primary human hepatocytes, as well as in liver tissue from HCV-infected patients.