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Circulating miRNAs in Graves' ophthalmopathy: a systematic review
Evangelia Syrakouli1, Georgios Geropoulos2, Styliani Laskou1
13rd Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "AHEPA" University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Purpose:
Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) affects up to 40% of patients with Graves' disease. Identifying biomarkers that predict which patients with Graves' disease may develop GO or determining which GO patients will respond to conservative treatment is critical for improving targeted management. This study aims to investigate potential circulating miRNAs in serum or plasma that may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of GO.
Methods:
A systematic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Studies involving human participants with or without GO that assessed miRNA expression levels in serum, plasma, or CD4+ T cells were deemed eligible for inclusion.
Results:
Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 6567 miRNAs were analyzed in the serum, plasma, or CD4+ T cells of 195 patients. In patients with GO, seven miRNAs were significantly upregulated, while four miRNAs were downregulated. Among GO patients who responded to glucocorticoid treatment, one miRNA was upregulated, and two miRNAs were downregulated. In GO patients resistant to glucocorticoid treatment, one miRNA was significantly downregulated.
Conclusion:
MiRNAs hold promise as biomarkers for the early diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to glucocorticoid therapy in GO patients. There is a correlation between miRNA expression in serum or plasma and the presence, activity, and response to glucocorticoid therapy in GO patients. However, further clinical studies are necessary to validate the predictive value of miRNAs as biomarkers in clinical practice.
