miR-486-5p Serves as a Diagnostic Biomarker for Sepsis and Its Predictive Value for Clinical Outcomes

miR-486-5p diagnosed atrial fibrillation, predicted the risk of left atrial fibrosis, and regulated angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis via modulating PI3K/Akt signaling through targeting FOXO1

This study focused on miR-486-5p in atrial fibrillation (AF) evaluating its clinical significance and revealing its regulatory mechanism in cardiac fibroblasts, aiming to explore a novel biomarker for AF. The study enrolled 131 AF patients and 77 non-AF individuals. With the help of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the expression of miR-486-5p was evaluated. The significance of miR-486-5p in the diagnosis of AF and the occurrence of left atrial fibrosis (LAF) was assessed by receiver operating curve (ROC) and logistic analyses. The regulatory effect and mechanism of miR-486-5p on cardiac fibrosis were investigated in human cardiac fibroblasts treated with angiotensin II. miR-486-5p was significantly upregulated in AF patients and discriminated AF patients from non-AF individuals. Increasing miR-486-5p showed a significant association with decreasing left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), increasing left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), and the high incidence of LAF in AF patients. Moreover, miR-486-5p was identified as a risk factor for LAF and could distinguish AF patients with LAF and without LAF. In cardiac fibroblasts, angiotensin II induced the upregulation of miR-486-5p and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis. miR-486-5p negatively regulated forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) and its knockdown could reverse the promoted effect of angiotensin II. FOXO1 alleviated the effect of miR-486-5p, and the miR-486-5p/FOXO1 could activate PI3K/Akt signaling. The activation of PI3K/Akt signaling alleviated the enhanced proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts induced by angiotensin II, and its inhibition showed opposite effects. Increased miR-486-5p served as a biomarker for the diagnosis and development prediction of AF. miR-486-5p regulated cardiac fibroblast viability and collagen synthesis via modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling through targeting FOXO1.

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of miR-486-5p in patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the expression and clinical value of microRNA miR-486-5p in diagnosing lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients and predicting the clinical outcomes after minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS) in LSS patients, and the correlation of miR-486-5p with inflammatory responses in LSS patients.

METHODS

This study included 52 LSS patients, 46 patients with lumbar intervertebral disk herniation (LDH) and 42 healthy controls. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR was used to detect miR-486-5p expression. The ability of miR-486-5p to discriminate between different groups was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores at 6 months postoperatively were used to reflect the clinical outcomes of LSS patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of inflammatory factor [interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)]. The correlation of miR-486-5p with continuous variables in LSS patients was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Expression of serum miR-486-5p was upregulated in LSS patients and had high diagnostic value to screen LSS patients. In addition, serum miR-486-5p could predict the 6-month clinical outcomes after MISS therapy in LSS patients. Moreover, serum miR-486-5p was found to be positively correlated with the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in patients with LSS.

CONCLUSION

miR-486-5p, increased in LSS patients, can function as an indicator to diagnose LSS and a predictive indicator for the clinical outcomes after MISS therapy in LSS patients. In addition, miR-486-5p may regulate LSS progression by modulating inflammatory responses.

The role of CEMIP in cancers and its transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation

CEMIP is a protein known for inducing cell migration and binding to hyaluronic acid. Functioning as a hyaluronidase, CEMIP primarily facilitates the breakdown of the extracellular matrix component, hyaluronic acid, thereby regulating various signaling pathways. Recent evidence has highlighted the significant role of CEMIP in different cancers, associating it with diverse pathological states. While identified as a biomarker for several diseases, CEMIP's mechanism in cancer seems distinct. Accumulating data suggests that CEMIP expression is triggered by chemical modifications to itself and other influencing factors. Transcriptionally, chemical alterations to the CEMIP promoter and involvement of transcription factors such as AP-1, HIF, and NF-κB regulate CEMIP levels. Similarly, specific miRNAs have been found to post-transcriptionally regulate CEMIP. This review provides a comprehensive summary of CEMIP's role in various cancers and explores how both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms control its expression.

Global blood miRNA profiling unravels early signatures of immunogenicity of Ebola vaccine rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP

The vectored Ebola vaccine rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP elicits protection against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). In a study of forty-eight healthy adult volunteers who received either the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine or placebo, we profiled intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) from whole blood cells (WB) and circulating miRNAs from serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) at baseline and longitudinally following vaccination. Further, we identified early miRNA signatures associated with ZEBOV-specific IgG antibody responses at baseline and up to one year post-vaccination, and pinpointed target mRNA transcripts and pathways correlated to miRNAs whose expression was altered after vaccination by using systems biology approaches. Several miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) and miRNA signatures predicted high or low IgG ZEBOV-specific antibody levels with high classification performance. The top miRNA discriminators were WB-miR-6810, EV-miR-7151-3p, and EV-miR-4426. An eight-miRNA antibody predictive signature was associated with immune-related target mRNAs and pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into early blood biomarkers associated with rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine-induced IgG antibody responses.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy: Pilot Study for Maternal and Neonatal MicroRNA Profiles

This pilot study explores alterations in miRNA profiles among pregnant women and their neonates upon receiving different doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Blood samples, including maternal blood (MB) and neonatal cord blood (CB), collected from five pregnant women were scrutinized using the miRNA PanelChip Analysis System, identifying nine distinct miRNAs, including miR-451a and miR-1972, which exhibited significant downregulation with two vaccine doses in both MB and CB. When compared with women vaccinated with four doses, miR-486-5p, miR-451a, and miR-1972 in the two-dose group also showed notable downregulation. Evaluating recipients of three and four doses, miR-423-5p and miR-1972 expression were significantly reduced in both MB and CB. Further comparative analysis highlighted a decline in miR-223-3p expression with increasing vaccine doses, while miR15a-5p, miR-16-5p, and miR-423-5p showed an upward trend. Notably, miR-451a, miR-1972, and miR-423-5p levels varied across doses and were associated with pathways such as "PI3K-Akt", "neurotrophin signaling", and "cortisol synthesis", suggesting the profound influence of vaccination on diverse molecular mechanisms. Our research has uncovered that escalating vaccine dosages impact miRNA profiles, which may be associated with the immunological response mechanisms in both the mother and fetus, thus indicating a substantial impact of vaccination on various molecular processes.

The Relationship Between the Expression of CRBN in Peripheral Blood and the Severity and Prognosis of Adult Sepsis

Objective

To investigate the correlation between the expression of cereblon (CRBN) protein in peripheral blood and the severity and prognosis of sepsis.

Methods

A total of 130 patients with sepsis admitted to our hospital were selected as the observation subjects (sepsis group). The patients were divided into mild group, moderate group and severe group according to their conditions. The patients were divided into survival group and death group according to their living conditions within 28 days after admission. 130 health individuals were selected as the control group. The levels of CRBN mRNA, CRP and PCT in peripheral blood were detected.

Results

The levels of serum CRBN mRNA, CRP, and PCT in patients with sepsis were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); As the condition worsens, the levels of CRBN mRNA, CRP, and PCT gradually increase, and there are statistically significant differences among patients with mild, moderate, and severe sepsis; Correlation analysis showed that the expression of CRBN mRNA in sepsis patients was positively correlated with CRP, PCT levels, APACHE II score and SOFA score (P<0.05); the 28-day cumulative survival rate of patients with high CRBN mRNA expression was significantly lower than that of patients with low CRBN mRNA expression (P<0.05); compared with the survival group, the levels of serum CRBN mRNA, CRP and PCT in the death group were significantly higher (P<0.05); the AUC of death in sepsis patients diagnosed by CRBN mRNA, CRP and PCT was 0.961, the combined diagnostic efficacy was higher than that of single detection (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The expression level of CRBN in the peripheral blood of patients with sepsis is increased, which is related to the severity and prognosis of the patients. The combination of CRP and PCT has certain diagnostic value for the death of sepsis patients.

A systematic review, meta-analysis, and network analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative process of the optic nerve that is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and early diagnosis of the disease could greatly affect patients' prognoses. The pathophysiology of glaucoma is complicated by a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Deciphering the early diagnostic biomarkers in glaucoma could attenuate the disease's global burden and help us understand the exact mechanisms involved in glaucoma. The microRNAs are members of a larger family of non-coding RNAs that play an essential role in the epigenetic basis of glaucoma. A systematic study and meta-analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma, jointly with network analysis of target genes, were carried out on published papers assessing differentially expressed microRNAs in human subjects. In total, 321 articles were found, and, after screening, six studies were eligible for further analysis. 52 differentially expressed microRNAs were found, of which 28 and 24 were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. Only 12 microRNAs were qualified for meta-analysis, with overall sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 74%, respectively. Then, using network analysis, it became apparent that the VEGF-A, AKT1, CXCL12, and HRAS genes were the most important targets for the microRNAs. Perturbations in WNT signaling, protein transport, and extracellular matrix organization pathways were discovered to be important in the etiology of glaucoma using the community detection approach. This study tries to uncover the promising microRNAs and their target genes that govern the epigenetics of glaucoma.

Diagnostic significance of microRNAs in sepsis

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that induce tens of million death each year, yet early diagnosis remains a formidable challenge. Many studies have focused on the diagnostic accuracy of microRNAs (miRNAs) for sepsis in recent years, particularly miR-155-5p, miR-21, miR-223-3p, miR-146a, and miR-125a. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to explore if miRNAs may be used as a biomarker for sepsis detection.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure through May 12, 2022. This meta-analysis was conducted using Meta-disc 1.4 and STATA 15.1 in a fixed/random-effect model.

RESULTS

The analysis included a total of 50 relevant studies. The overall performance of total miRNAs detection was: pooled sensitivity, 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75 to 0.77); pooled specificity, 0.77 (95%CI, 0.75 to 0.78); and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves value (SROC), 0.86. The subgroup analysis suggested that detection in miR-155-5p group had the highest area under the curve (AUC) of SROC among all miRNAs: pooled sensitivity, 0.71 (95%CI, 0.67 to 0.75); pooled specificity, 0.82 (95%CI, 0.76 to 0.86); and SROC, 0.85. MiR-21, miR-223-3p, miR-146a, and miR-125a had SROC values of 0.67, 0.78, 0.69, and 0.74, respectively. The specimen type was found to be a source of heterogeneity in the meta-regression study. The SROC of serum was higher than that of plasma (0.87 and 0.83, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis revealed that miRNAs, specifically miR-155-5p, could be useful biomarkers for detecting sepsis. A clinical serum specimen is also indicated for diagnostic purposes.

Id4 modulates salivary gland homeostasis and its expression is downregulated in IgG4-related disease via miR-486-5p

Salivary glands are physiologically orchestrated by the coordinated balance between cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and interactions between epithelial, mesenchymal endothelial, and neuronal cells, and they are frequent sites of manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) or IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). However, little is known about salivary gland homeostasis and its involvement in those diseases. Inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation 4 (Id4) is an Id protein involved in the transcriptional control of many biological events, including differentiation. Studies of Id4-deficient mice revealed that Id4-deficient submandibular glands were smaller and exhibited accelerated differentiation, compared with those from wild-type littermates. In addition, dry mouth symptoms and Th17 expansion in splenocytes were also observed in the absence of Id4. Furthermore, Id4 levels in the salivary glands of patients with IgG4-RD, but not SS, were significantly decreased compared with those of healthy controls. miRNA-mRNA integrated analysis demonstrated that miR-486-5p was upregulated in IgG4-RD patients and that it might regulate Id4 in the lesion sites. Together, these results provide evidence for the inhibitory role of Id4 in salivary differentiation, and a critical association between Id4 downregulation and IgG4-RD.

Role of m6A modification and novel circ_0066715/ miR-486-5p/ ETS1 axis in rheumatoid arthritis macrophage polarization progression

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease dominated by inflammatory synovitis. RA synovial macrophages tend undergo M1-type macrophage polarization. Then, polarized M1-type macrophages secrete abundant pro-inflammatory cytokines, causing joint and cartilage destruction. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification, circular RNA (circRNA), microRNA (miRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), etc. are involved in the inflammatory response of RA. We found that there is an imbalance of inflammatory polarization in RA, which is manifested by a sharp increase in inflammatory markers and a high inflammatory response. Here, we show that RA was closely associated with low expression of circ_0066715. The overexpression of circ_0066715 significantly increased the ETS1 levels in RA-FLS cells, decreased cytokine secretion by M1-type macrophages, elevated M2-type cytokines, and inhibited FLS proliferation. Interestingly, the overexpression of miR-486-5p significantly suppressed the attenuation of the cell function and the effect on M1 macrophage polarization caused by circ_0066715 positive expression. WTAP may be involved in the methylation process of ETS1 in RA. ETS1 m6A methylation levels were altered upon WTAP intervention. The overexpression or interference of circ_0066715 decreased or increased WTAP expression. Our findings provide a novel circRNA/miRNA/mRNA regulatory axis and m6A regulatory mechanism involved in the process of RA macrophage polarization, thereby providing a powerful diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for RA treatment.

Deregulated RNAs involved in sympathetic regulation of sepsis-induced acute lung injury based on whole transcriptome sequencing

Sympathetic nerves play essential roles in the regulation of lung inflammation, and we investigated the effect of sympathetic denervation (SD) on sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. Mice were randomized to the control, SD, ALI and SD + ALI, groups. SD and ALI were established through intratracheal 6-hydroxydopamine and intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide, respectively. Models and gene expressions levels were evaluated by HE staining, ELISA, Western blotting and RT-qPCR. RNA extraction, whole transcriptome sequencing and subsequent biostatistical analysis were performed. Sympathetic denervation in the lungs significantly attenuated lung TNF-ɑ and norepinephrine expression, alleviated sepsis-induced acute lung injury and inhibited NF-κB signaling. Compared with the ALI group, the SD + ALI group exhibited 629 DE circRNAs, 269 DE lncRNAs,7 DE miRNAs and 186 DE mRNAs, respectively. Some DE RNAs were validated by RT-qPCR. CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the SD + ALI group revealed enrichment of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, CAM, primary immunodeficiency, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction terms. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network also revealed inflammation-related signaling pathways. Taken together, based on the successfully established models of SD and ALI, we show here that sympathetic nerves may regulate sepsis-induced ALI supposedly by affecting the expression of circRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs in the lungs. These results may allow for further exploration of the roles of pulmonary sympathetic nerves in sepsis-induced ALI.

miRNA-486-5p: signaling targets and role in non-malignant disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs, highly conserved between species, that are powerful regulators of gene expression. Aberrant expression of miRNAs alters biological processes and pathways linked to human disease. miR-486-5p is a muscle-enriched miRNA localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus, and is highly abundant in human plasma and enriched in small extracellular vesicles. Studies of malignant and non-malignant diseases, including kidney diseases, have found correlations with circulating miR-486-5p levels, supporting its role as a potential biomarker. Pre-clinical studies of non-malignant diseases have identified miR-486-5p targets that regulate major signaling pathways involved in cellular proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Validated miR-486-5p targets include phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and FoXO1, whose suppression activates phosphatidyl inositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling. Targeting of Smad1/2/4 and IGF-1 by miR-486-5p inhibits transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling, respectively. Other miR-486-5p targets include matrix metalloproteinase-19 (MMP-19), Sp5, histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1), and nuclear factor of activated T cells-5 (NFAT5). In this review, we examine the biogenesis, regulation, validated gene targets and biological effects of miR-486-5p in non-malignant diseases.

Non-Coding RNAs as Novel Regulators of Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia. Although significant breakthroughs have been made in understanding the progression and pathogenesis of AD, it remains a worldwide problem and a significant public health burden. Thus, more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are urgently required. The latest research studies have revealed that neuroinflammation is crucial in the pathogenesis of AD. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), have been strongly associated with AD-induced neuroinflammation. Furthermore, several ongoing pre-clinical studies are currently investigating ncRNA as disease biomarkers and therapeutic interventions to provide new perspectives for AD diagnosis and treatment. In this review, the role of different types of ncRNAs in neuroinflammation during AD are summarized in order to improve our understanding of AD etiology and aid in the translation of basic research into clinical practice.

Circulating microRNAs as novel diagnostic biomarkers and prognostic predictors for septic patients

This study was to find out novel miRNAs whether could be used as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in sepsis. We used miRNAs microarray assays and further confirmed the levels of miRNAs in 151 septic patients' plasma. 56 miRNAs were up-regulated and 74 miRNAs down-regulated in septic patients compared with the healthy volunteers. But only miR-519c-5p and miR-3622b-3p were up-regulated in both septic and septic shock patients. The levels of miR-519c-5p and miR-3622b-3p were statistically higher in 151 septic patients than healthy controls on day 1. The AUC for miR-519c-5p was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.688-0.892, p = 0.001) in the diagnosis of sepsis, and the AUC for miR-3622b-3p 0.752 (95% CI, 0.622-0.881, p = 0.003). The AUC for the combination of these two miRNAs was 0.831 (95% CI, 0.74-0.923, p < 0.001). Besides, the AUC for miR-519c-5p was 0.597 (p = 0.043) in predicting 28-day mortality. MiR-519c-5p, miR-3622b-3p were novel biomarkers for diagnosing septic patients. High miR-519c-5p levels suggest a worse short-term prognosis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Name of the registry: Diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating miRNA in patients with sepsis; Trial registration ID: ChiCTR-DDD-17013150; registered 30 October 2017; http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=22528&htm=4.