RT-qPCR assessment of mRNA expression (ERBB4, NRG4 and major lipogenesis genes) in human liver with histologic liver images and biochemical analysis of blood serum

ERBB4 and NRG4 have been shown to ameliorate steatosis and prevent the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mouse models, but little to nothing is known about their role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans. This data is the first expression study of ERBB4, NRG4, ACACA, FASN, FTO, SREBF1 and TFEB mRNAs in the liver biospecimens of individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven NAFLD. Against a background of increased BMI, ERBB4 and NRG4 mRNA levels decreased, while ACACA mRNA levels increased. No deregulation of the analyzed transcripts was detected in NAFLD (link to the article). The data also contains information on detailed blood biochemical parameters, the anthropometric information (including diagnosis) and liver histology images that can be used for various meta-analyses and the development of prognostic biomarkers. Verification of the diagnosis of patients was performed at the Regional Clinical Hospital in Kaliningrad, Russia. Patients underwent standard dietary adjustments before elective abdominal surgery, which was performed under general anesthesia. All obese patients discontinued medications affecting carbohydrate and lipid metabolism parameters 36 hours before surgery. A fasting blood sample was obtained the morning before surgery. During surgery, liver samples of up to 0.5 mL were collected for RNA extraction (immediately placed in 600 μL RNAlater solution (Ambion, USA)) and up to 1 mL for histologic analysis (immediately fixed in 5 mL neutral buffered formalin). The study was conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2000) and the Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (1999). The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University: IKBFU Ethics Committee Conclusion №40 of 26.06.2023. All of the participants provided signed informed consent. All interventions were performed by highly qualified medical professionals and posed no risk to the patients' health. Inclusion criteria: individuals over 21 years who have received a diagnosis of their health condition from an official healthcare provider and have been referred for planned abdominal surgery, and who declared their willingness to participate in the study and donate a small tissue sample and their blood by giving informed written consent. Exclusion criteria: presence of infectious liver disease, concomitant somatic and infectious diseases in t