Table 2.

List of selected genes, their functions and sequences of primers used.

Gene	Primer Sequences 5′-3′	Function
hsa-miR-16-5p	F: ACAGCCTAGCAGCACGTAAAT RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACC GCCAA	Modulation of expression alters hepatic stellate cells’ autophagy, reference gene [41,42,43]
hsa-miR-93-5p	F: GTCAATCAAAGTGCTGTTCGTG RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGG GTCCGAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGAC	Aberrant expression probably plays a role in hepatoma development, reference gene [42,44,45,46]
hsa-miR-122-5p	F: AGACCTCCTGTGCAAATCTATG RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACC AAACA	Control of diverse aspects of hepatic function (lipid metabolism) or dysfunction (viral infection, hepatocarcinogenesis), potential liver injury biomarker [47,48,49,50]
hsa-miR-125b-5p	F: AGACCTCCTGTGCAAATCTATG RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACC AAACA	Tumor suppressor, potential diagnostic tool for hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma [51,52]
hsa-miR-148a-3p	F: GAGAATTCAGTGCACTACAGA RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACA CAAAG	Downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, deficiency enhances hepatic steatosis [53]
hsa-miR-155-5p	F: GGCCCTTTAATGCTAATCGTGA RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACA CCCCT	Important role in immune and inflammatory processes, oncogenic [54,55]
hsa-miR-182-5p	F: GATCACTTTGGCAATGGTAGAAC RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGG GTCCGAGGTATTCGCACCAGAG GAGACAGTGTG	Attenuates liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, plays a role in hepatocellular carcinoma and its metastasis [56,57,58]
hsa-miR-192-3p	F: ACGTGTCTGCCAATTCCATAG RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACT ATTTA	Suppresses farnesoid X receptor expression in adenocarcinoma cell lines [59]
hsa-miR-885-5p	F: GAGACATCCATTAC CTACCC RT: GTCTCCTCTGGTGCAGGGTCC GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGAGACA GAGGC	Lipoprotein and lipid metabolism, suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis, potential liver injury biomarker [60,61,62,63]
snU6	F: GCTCGCTTCGGCAGCACA RT: AACGCTTCACGAATTTGCGTG	Reference gene [64]
Universal	R: GAGGTATTCGCACCAGAGGA