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Updated: May 10, 2026
Refined Murine Model of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Published on: June 17, 2025
Serum miR-21 and miR-155 expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Ping Li1, Guo-Qiang Zhao, Teng-Fei Chen
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou, Henan , People's Republic of China and.
Objective:
To investigate the expression of serum miRNA-21(miR-21) and miRNA-155 (miR-155) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Methods:
A study including 65 patients with IPF and 65 similar age and gender healthy controls was performed. Serum specimens were collected from all subjects. Total RNA was extracted and the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to measure serum miR-21 and miR-155 in both groups. Clinicopathologic features were assessed to determine associations with serum miR-21 and miR-155 concentrations.
Results:
Serum miR-21 expression was significantly higher in IPF samples than in healthy controls (p < 0.01), while serum miR-155 expression did not show a statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Forced vital capacity (FVC) and radiologic features were associated with miR-21 and miR-155 expression in serum (p < 0.05). Neither miR-21 nor miR-155 expression was statistically significantly associated with clinicopathologic parameters, such as gender (p > 0.05) and age (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that serum miR-21 is associated with IPF and the degree of damage indicated by FVC and radiologic examinations could correlate with miR-21 and miR-155 expression in serum. From another perspective, our study confirmed serum miRNA can be stable and detectable in serum of patients with IPF, which could prove useful as it could be considered as a new biomarker in serum for diagnosis and assessment of prognosis of IPF in the future.
Insights
Serum miR-21 is elevated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its levels, along with miR-155, correlate with disease severity, suggesting potential as IPF biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disease with limited treatment options.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and are implicated in various diseases, including fibrosis.
- Investigating specific miRNAs in IPF may reveal novel diagnostic and prognostic markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the expression levels of serum microRNA-21 (miR-21) and microRNA-155 (miR-155) in patients with IPF.
- To explore the association between serum miR-21 and miR-155 levels and clinicopathological features of IPF.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples were collected from 65 IPF patients and 65 healthy controls.
- Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to measure serum miR-21 and miR-155 concentrations.
- Clinicopathological data, including forced vital capacity (FVC) and radiologic findings, were assessed.
Main Results:
- Serum miR-21 expression was significantly higher in IPF patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01).
- Serum miR-155 expression did not show a significant difference between groups (p > 0.05).
- Both miR-21 and miR-155 serum levels correlated with FVC and radiologic features of IPF (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Serum miR-21 is elevated in IPF and correlates with disease severity, indicating its potential as a diagnostic biomarker.
- Serum miR-155 also shows correlation with IPF severity, though its expression levels were not significantly different between IPF patients and controls.
- Stable and detectable miRNAs in IPF serum highlight their potential as future biomarkers for IPF diagnosis and prognosis assessment.