Urinary miRNA profiles discriminate between obstruction-induced bladder dysfunction and healthy controls.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Urology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD), including benign prostatic obstruction-induced (BLUTD) and neurogenic (NLUTD), shares symptoms like urgency and incomplete emptying.
• Previous research identified miRNA biomarkers in bladder biopsies for bladder function.
• Urine is a potential source for circulating miRNA biomarkers, but requires age- and sex-matched controls for accurate comparison.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) and miRNA content in healthy individuals of different age groups.
• To evaluate the potential of urinary miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).

Main Methods:

• Collected urine samples from two groups of healthy males (average age 32 and 57 years).
• Analyzed total protein, RNA content, number of secreted uEVs, and miRNA expression.
• Assessed a three-miRNA signature (miR-10a-5p, miR-301b-3p, miR-363-3p) for its ability to discriminate between controls and LUTD patients.

Main Results:

• Total protein and RNA content were similar between age groups.
• Younger healthy males exhibited higher uEV counts and miRNA expression compared to older males.
• The three-miRNA signature effectively differentiated controls from patients with BLUTD and NLUTD.

Conclusions:

• Urinary miRNA profiles differ between age groups, highlighting the need for age-matched controls in biomarker studies.
• A specific urinary miRNA signature holds potential for the non-invasive diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).
• Further research can explore this miRNA panel for developing a diagnostic test for BOO.