Relationship between miR-29a levels in the peripheral blood and sepsis-related encephalopathy

This study aimed to explore the relationship between peripheral blood miR-29a and sepsis-related encephalopathy (SAE).

A total of 120 patients with sepsis admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to October 2019 were selected as research subjects. They were divided into a SAE group (30 cases) and an unrelated encephalopathy group (90 cases) according to whether the patients were complicated with SAE. The levels of miR-29a in the peripheral blood, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S100β calcium binding protein (S100β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum were determined, and the relationship between miR-29a in the peripheral blood and the diagnosis and prognosis prediction in SAE patients was analyzed.

Compared with the unrelated encephalopathy group, the levels of miR-29a in peripheral blood, NSE, S100β and IL-6 in serum of patients in the SAE group were elevated notably. miR-29a in the peripheral blood, and NSE, S100β, IL-6 in the serum of patients who died and survived within 28 days were detected, and the levels of these four indexes in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group. Correlation analysis revealed that miR-29a in the peripheral blood was positively correlated with the levels of NSE, S100β and IL-6 in serum. According to Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, miR-29a in the peripheral blood can be used as a potential biomarker to predict whether sepsis is complicated with SAE and the relative prognosis.

miR-29a is closely associated with the development of SAE, and miR-29a in the peripheral blood can be used as a potential biological index to predict whether sepsis is complicated with SAE and indications of a poor prognosis.