Expression of LINC00963 in Preoperative Liver Tissues of Biliary Atresia and Its Correlation with Postoperative Liver Fibrosis Progression

Abstract Objective： To investigate the expression level of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00963 in preoperative liver tissues of biliary atresia (BA) and its correlation with postoperative liver fibrosis progression and clinical prognostic indicators, so as to provide experimental basis for screening potential molecular targets for predicting postoperative liver fibrosis in BA. Methods： A total of 28 preoperative liver tissue samples from BA children who underwent Kasai operation combined with Roux-en-Y anastomosis in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were collected. According to the Ishak liver fibrosis score at 1-year postoperative follow-up, the children were divided into mild fibrosis progression group (10 cases, Ishak score 1-2) and moderate-severe fibrosis progression group (18 cases, Ishak score 3-6). Another 8 normal liver tissue samples resected intraoperatively from children with biliary hypoplasia were selected as the control group. High-throughput RNA sequencing was used to screen differentially expressed lncRNAs, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was employed to verify the expression level of LINC00963. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlation between the expression level of LINC00963 in preoperative BA liver tissues and postoperative liver fibrosis degree, serum bile acid level, and jaundice resolution time. Results： High-throughput RNA sequencing showed that the expression level of LINC00963 in preoperative BA liver tissues was significantly higher than that in the control group, which was 3.72 times that of the control group (P<0.01). The qPCR verification results were consistent with the sequencing results (P<0.01). The expression level of LINC00963 in preoperative liver tissues of children in the moderate-severe fibrosis progression group was significantly higher than that in the mild fibrosis progression group (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the expression level of LINC00963 in preoperative BA liver tissues was positively correlated with postoperative Ishak liver fibrosis score (r=0.68, P<0.01) and serum bile acid level (r=0.71, P<0.01), while negatively correlated with postoperative jaundice resolution time (r=-0.63, P<0.01). Conclusion ： LINC00963 is highly expressed in preoperative BA liver tissues, and its expression level is closely correlated with postoperative liver fibrosis progression, cholestasis, and jaundice resolution prognosis. It can serve as a potential molecular marker for predicting postoperative liver fibrosis progression in BA, providing a reference for early intervention.