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Updated: Dec 23, 2025
A Data-Driven Approach to Quantifying Immune States in Sepsis
Published on: February 7, 2025
Significances of miRNAs for predicting sepsis mortality: a meta-analysis
Yuxi Jin1, Yue Zhang1, Yifei Li1
1Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Background:
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection and remains a major cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). Recent studies have identified microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small RNA molecules, as potential biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting outcomes in sepsis patients. However, the results of these studies have been inconsistent. This meta-analysis aims to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of miRNAs in predicting sepsis-related mortality.
Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was performed across major databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CNKI, up to April 7, 2024. Data extraction and meta-analysis were conducted using Meta-disk 1.4 and STATA 15.1, employing both fixed- and random-effects models to ensure robust statistical analysis.
Results:
A total of 55 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve for miRNA detection were calculated. The overall performance of total miRNA detection demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-0.77), a specificity of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.71-0.73), and an SROC value of 0.83. Subgroup analyses revealed that miR-133a-3p exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.92), specificity of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.86), and an SROC value of 0.90. Additionally, other miRNAs, including miR-146a, miR-21, miR-210, miR-223-3p, miR-155, miR-25, miR-122, miR-125a, miR-125b, and miR-150, also demonstrated high SROC values (0.84 to 0.76).
Conclusion:
This meta-analysis underscores the potential of several microRNAs (miRNAs) as reliable biomarkers for predicting sepsis mortality. Specifically, miR-133a-3p, miR-146a, miR-21, miR-210, miR-223-3p, miR-155, miR-25, miR-122, miR-125b, and miR-150 emerge as promising candidates for clinical applications in sepsis prognosis.
Insights
This meta-analysis shows microRNAs (miRNAs) can predict sepsis mortality. miR-133a-3p, miR-146a, and others are promising biomarkers for clinical use in sepsis prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Sepsis is a critical condition with high mortality in ICUs, driven by immune response to infection.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as potential biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis and outcome prediction.
- Existing studies on miRNA utility in sepsis show inconsistent results, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the diagnostic and prognostic value of miRNAs in predicting sepsis-related mortality.
- To identify specific miRNAs with high accuracy for sepsis prognosis.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CNKI) up to April 2024.
- Data extraction and meta-analysis were conducted using Meta-disk 1.4 and STATA 15.1 with fixed- and random-effects models.
- Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and SROC curves were calculated for miRNA detection.
Main Results:
- 55 studies were analyzed, showing overall miRNA detection sensitivity of 0.76 and specificity of 0.72 (SROC=0.83).
- miR-133a-3p demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy with sensitivity 0.83, specificity 0.79, and SROC 0.90.
- Other miRNAs including miR-146a, miR-21, miR-210, miR-223-3p, miR-155, miR-25, miR-122, miR-125b, and miR-150 also showed high prognostic values (SROC 0.76-0.84).
Conclusions:
- MicroRNAs show significant potential as reliable biomarkers for predicting sepsis mortality.
- miR-133a-3p, miR-146a, miR-21, miR-210, miR-223-3p, miR-155, miR-25, miR-122, miR-125b, and miR-150 are promising candidates for clinical application in sepsis prognosis.
