miRNAs in Major Depression: Possible Association of miR-17 and miR-92 with Childhood Traumas

Psychosocial and genetic factors are considered to play roles in the etiological mechanisms of major depressive disorder (MDD). The involvement of miRNAs in the etiopathogenesis of depression and childhood traumas is still unclear. This study aims to reveal potential differences in miRNA levels between patients with depression and healthy individuals and assess their connection to childhood traumas.

This study included fifty patients with MDD and 33 healthy controls. The targeting of the 3'UTR regions of the BDNF, SLC6A4/SERT/5-HTT, HTR1a, and HTR2a genes by 8 miRNAs was analyzed to explore their potential involvement in depression and childhood traumas. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28 were administered to the participants.

Patients with MDD exhibited significantly lower expression levels of miR-335 and miR-4775, as well as significantly higher expression levels of miR-15, miR-16, miR-17, miR-92, miR-182, and miR-206, when compared to healthy controls using the 2^-(ΔΔCt) method. Only miR-17 and miR-92 were associated with childhood traumas in the patients with depression.

Our research reveals a possible involvement of miRNAs in the pathophysiology of depression and highlights a potential relationship between childhood traumas and specific miRNAs in depressed patients.