Expression levels of candidate circulating microRNAs in pediatric tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, causing substantial mortality and morbidity.
• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of the host immune response, particularly in infectious diseases like TB.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify circulating miRNAs as potential blood biomarkers for diagnosing active tuberculosis in children.
• To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of specific miRNAs in pediatric TB cases.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 30 children with active TB and 30 healthy controls.
• Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze plasma miRNA expression levels.
• Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in circulating miRNA expression were observed between active TB cases and healthy controls.
• Upregulation of miR-21, miR-29a, miR-31, and miR-155, and downregulation of miR-146a were noted in children with active TB.
• ROC analysis demonstrated excellent diagnostic potential for miR-31 (AUC 0.978), miR-155 (AUC 0.953), and miR-146a (AUC 0.903).

Conclusions:

• Altered circulating miRNA profiles are associated with immune response dysregulation in pediatric TB.
• miR-31, miR-155, and miR-146a show significant potential as reliable diagnostic biomarkers for active TB in children.