Elevated plasma miR-133b and miR-221-3p as biomarkers for early Parkinson's disease
Qihua Chen1, Na Deng1, Ke Lu1
1Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 41000, China.
Abstract:
Blood circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are proposed to be promising biomarkers for many neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there is a lack of identified differentially expressed miRNAs in PD from different studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate miRNAs expression in PD. We measured plasma circulating miRNA expression in three independent sets with a total of 151 PD patients, 21 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients and 138 healthy controls using high-throughput RT-PCR. We identified that elevated miR-133b and miR-221-3p discriminated early-stage PD from controls with 94.4% sensitivity and 91.1% specificity. Elevated miR-133b and miR-221-3p distinguished PD from controls with 84.8% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity. In addition, miR-4454 distinguished PD from MSA with 57.1% sensitivity and 82.6% specificity. Hence, elevated miR-133b and miR-221-3p potentially represent good biomarkers for early PD, and a combination of miR-133b, miR-221-3p and miR-4454 has the potential to serve as a non-invasive biomarker for PD diagnosis.
Insights
Blood circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD). Elevated miR-133b and miR-221-3p levels can help detect early PD, with potential for combined use with miR-4454 for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are investigated as potential biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD).
- Previous studies show inconsistencies in identifying specific differentially expressed miRNAs in PD patients.
- Standard diagnostic methods for PD can be invasive or lack sensitivity for early detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate plasma circulating miRNA expression in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
- To identify specific miRNAs that can differentiate PD from healthy controls and other neurodegenerative conditions like multiple system atrophy (MSA).
- To assess the potential of identified miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for early PD diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples were collected from three independent cohorts comprising 151 PD patients, 21 MSA patients, and 138 healthy controls.
- High-throughput RT-PCR was employed to measure the expression levels of circulating miRNAs.
- Statistical analysis was performed to determine sensitivity and specificity of identified miRNAs in distinguishing disease groups.
Main Results:
- Elevated levels of miR-133b and miR-221-3p effectively discriminated early-stage PD from controls (94.4% sensitivity, 91.1% specificity).
- These miRNAs also distinguished PD from controls with 84.8% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity.
- miR-4454 differentiated PD from MSA with 57.1% sensitivity and 82.6% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Elevated miR-133b and miR-221-3p show potential as reliable biomarkers for early Parkinson's disease detection.
- A combination of miR-133b, miR-221-3p, and miR-4454 may serve as a valuable non-invasive biomarker panel for PD diagnosis.
- Further validation is warranted to confirm the clinical utility of these miRNA biomarkers.
