RNA-seq from CD4 T lymphocytes of cirrhotic patients with cognitive impairment

Patients with liver cirrhosis may have minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) with cognitive and motor impairments that reduce life quality and span. MHE onset is associated with a shift in peripheral inflammation in which CD4+ lymphocytes play a key role but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to identify in CD4+ lymphocytes from patients with and without MHE: (1) gene expression changes and associated biological pathways using RNA-seq; (2) alterations in miRNA levels using miRNA-seq; (3) miRNAs and transcription factors regulating key mRNAs and (4) signalling pathways contributing to the peripheral inflammation shift associated to MHE onset. Additionally, we recovered T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires from RNA-seq dataset to understand the immune status of control patients and cirrhotic patients with or without MHE. Gene expression was measured using RNA-seq in CD4 T cells of control and cirrhotic patients with and without minimal hepatic encephalopathy.