Circulating miRNA-16 in inflammatory bowel disease and some clinical correlations - a cohort study in Bulgarian patients

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 Sep;26(17):6310-6315. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202209_29655.

Abstract

Objective: The pathogenesis of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes chronic inflammation and altered immune reactions. There are several publications, reporting that micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) may serve as a diagnostic biomarker with a potential to assess inflammation severity and treatment response1,2 in IBD patients. The objective of the study is to assess and correlate the serum expression of circulating miR-16 in IBD patients with some clinical parameters, such as extent, activity and severity of the disease.

Patients and methods: 70 IBD patients [35 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 35 with Crohn's disease (CD)] were included in the study. Serum miR-16 expression in both IBD diseases was assessed using reverse transcription quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR). Circulating miR-16 levels were also correlated with disease extent, activity and severity indices [Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), Montreal classification, Partial Mayo score]. Serum expression of miR-16 in the 70 patients was also compared to miR-16 serum levels in 30 healthy control subjects.

Results: The patients' group showed mean serum miR-16 expression of 3.07 for CD, 1.97 for UC and 1.61 for the control group of healthy subjects with a significant difference in the expression between groups. There is a significant correlation between increased serum expression of miR-16 and disease activity, extent and severity.

Conclusions: The increased miR-16 serum expression correlates with disease activity, intestinal localization of CD, stenotic and penetrating phenotype. MiR-16 could serve as a potential biomarker to assess inflammation.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers
  • Bulgaria
  • Circulating MicroRNA* / genetics
  • Circulating MicroRNA* / metabolism
  • Cohort Studies
  • Colitis, Ulcerative* / genetics
  • Colitis, Ulcerative* / metabolism
  • Crohn Disease* / genetics
  • Crohn Disease* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / genetics
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / metabolism
  • MicroRNAs* / genetics
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Circulating MicroRNA
  • MIRN16 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs