Sharing Circulating Micro-RNAs between Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Osteosarcopenia, characterized by concurrent osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia, significantly impacts older adults.
• While osteoporosis biomarkers are well-studied, evidence for biomarker utility in osteosarcopenia remains limited.
• Circulating microRNAs (miRs) are emerging as potential biomarkers for various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze circulating microRNAs (miRs) that are shared between osteoporosis/osteopenia and sarcopenia.
• To explore the potential clinical utility of these shared miRs in understanding osteosarcopenia pathogenesis.
• To identify gaps in current research regarding miRs in osteosarcopenia.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases.
• Identification of differentially expressed miRs (p-value < 0.05) in osteoporosis and sarcopenia.
• Screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts to identify relevant studies, followed by deduplication.

Main Results:

• A total of 69 miRs for osteoporosis and 14 for sarcopenia were identified; 9 miRs were found to be shared.
• Only three miRs (miR-155, miR-206, miR-328) showed consistent down-regulation in both conditions.
• Significant heterogeneity, limited agreement across studies, and insufficient data for sarcopenia miRs precluded meta-analysis; study quality was generally intermediate/high risk of bias.

Conclusions:

• This review highlights novel circulating miRs implicated in osteosarcopenia pathogenesis.
• Dysregulated miRs may offer insights into osteosarcopenia mechanisms.
• These findings lay the groundwork for future research into effective osteosarcopenia screening, monitoring, and treatment strategies.