Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to explore clinical implication of serum microRNA-122 (miR-122), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-10 levels in patients with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Methods 139 patients with DILI and 75 individuals for physical examination were admitted to our hospital between January 2023 and June 2024, and thecatalogue of patients with DILI included cholestatic type in 39 cases, hepatocyteinjury type in 86 cases and mixed type in 14cases, and grade 1 in 43 cases, grade 2 in 60 cases and grade 3 in 36 cases based on liver injury severity. Serum miR-122 level was detected by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and serum IL-1β and IL-10 levels were assayed by ELISA. Results Serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels in patients with DILI were(48.6±7.9)μmol/L, (117.9±35.8)U/L,(112.8±42.3)U/L, (193.2±46.5)U/L and (377.6±88.8)U/L, all significantly higher than [(10.3±3.2)μmol/L, (24.8±5.4)U/L, (23.1±4.0)U/L, (49.7±17.8)U/L and (50.4±4.2)U/L, respectively, P＜0.05] in the control; serum miR-122 level in patients with mixed type was(11.5±2.6)and in those with hepatocyteinjury typewas(10.9±1.6), both much higher than [(9.0±1.5),P＜0.05] in those with cholestatic type, serum IL-1β level in patients with mixed type was (105.3±3.8)pg/mL and in those with hepatocyte injury type was (101.8±3.2)pg/mL, both much higher than [(90.6±13.0)pg/mL, P＜0.05] in those with cholestatic type, while there were no significant differences as respect to serum IL-10 levels among the three groups (P＞0.05); serum miR-122 level in patients with grade 3 was (12.5±1.2), and in those with grade 2was (10.3±1.4), both much higher than [((8.6±1.5),P＜0.05] in patients with grade 1 liver injury, serum IL-1β level in patients with grade 3 was (105.1±13.2)pg/mL, and in those with grade 2 was (100.7±13.4)pg/mL, both significantly higher than [(88.8±13.1)pg/mL, P＜0.05] in those with grade 1, while serum IL-10 level in patients with grade 3 was (1.9±0.8)pg/mL, and in those with grade 2 was (2.1±0.9)pg/mL, both significantly lower than [(2.8±1.1)pg/mL, P＜0.05]in those with grade 1 liver injury. Conclusion Serum miR-122,IL-1β and IL-10 level changes in patients with DILI might hint severity of liver injuries, and warrant further clinical investigation.

Key words: Drug-induced liver injury, MicroRNA-122, Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-10, Implications