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Published on: August 7, 2017
Elevated Serum Levels of miRNA-155 in Children with Atopic Dermatitis: A Potential Biomarker of Disease
Natalia Gołuchowska1, Aldona Ząber1, Sylwia Walczewska1
1Department of Pediatrics, Nephrology and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, Szaserów 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland.
Insights
In children with atopic dermatitis (AD), serum miR-155 levels were significantly higher, suggesting it as a potential biomarker. miR-100 levels correlated with inhalant allergy and eosinophil counts, indicating a role in disease phenotyping.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent pediatric inflammatory skin condition.
- MicroRNAs are increasingly recognized as potential biomarkers for AD due to their role in immune and inflammatory pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess serum levels of miR-100, miR-224, and miR-155 in children with AD compared to healthy controls.
- To investigate associations between these microRNAs and clinical AD phenotypes, disease severity (SCORAD), cytokine profiles, immunological parameters, and co-existing allergic diseases.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples from 12 children with AD and 9 healthy children were analyzed.
- MicroRNA isolation, followed by reverse transcription and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) for miR-100, miR-224, and miR-155 quantification.
Main Results:
- Children with AD showed significantly elevated serum miR-155 expression compared to controls (p = 0.003).
- No significant differences in miR-224 or miR-100 levels were found between AD patients and controls.
- miR-100 expression was higher in children with a history of inhalant allergy (p = 0.014) and positively correlated with eosinophil percentage and absolute eosinophil count.
Conclusions:
- Significantly upregulated miR-155 in pediatric AD suggests its potential as a candidate biomarker for further investigation.
- While not differentiating AD from controls, miR-100's association with eosinophilia and inhalant allergy points to its involvement in AD phenotyping.
Abstract:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin disease in the pediatric population. In recent years, the role of microRNAs in inflammatory and immunological mechanisms as specific biomarkers of AD has received growing attention. The aim of the present study was a quantitative assessment of serum expression levels of miR-100, miR-224 and miR-155 in children with AD compared with healthy peers, and an analysis of their potential associations with clinical disease phenotype, severity of skin lesions (SCORAD), cytokine profile, immunological parameters and the presence of concomitant allergic diseases. The study included 12 children with AD and 9 healthy children. Selected miRNAs were isolated from serum, followed by reverse transcription using universal primers and quantification by qRT-PCR. Children with AD exhibited significantly higher expression levels of miR-155 compared with controls (p = 0.003). No statistically significant differences were observed for miR-100 and miR-224. miR-100 expression was significantly higher in children with a positive history of inhalant allergy compared with those without such a diagnosis (p = 0.014). A positive correlation was observed between miR-100 levels and the percentage of eosinophils (r = 0.599; p = 0.052) as well as absolute eosinophil count (r = 0.600; p = 0.051). MiR-155 is significantly upregulated in children with AD suggesting it as a candidate biomarker worthy of further investigation in larger cohorts. Although miR-100 did not differentiate the groups, its correlation with eosinophilia and inhalant allergy suggests a role in disease phenotyping.
