Keratin 79 Is a PPARA Target That Is Highly Expressed by Liver Damage

The study explored the role of Keratin 79 (KRT79) in liver damage. It was found that KRT79, typically associated with hair canal morphogenesis and regeneration in skin, is undetectable in a normal mouse liver but its expression significantly increases with the use of PPARA agonist WY-14643 and fenofibrate. This increase is completely abolished in Ppara-null mice, suggesting that hepatic KRT79 is controlled by PPARA. KRT79 expression also significantly increased in liver damage models induced by fasting and high-fat diet. The study, which involved 5 liver samples for each data point, concluded that KRT79 is a PPARA target gene and is highly associated with liver damage, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic biomarker for liver diseases.