Investigation of expression levels of MIR125A and MIR126 genes in chronic obstructive lung disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease characterized by airway inflammation, with high morbidity and mortality, and an increasing frequency with age. Small, non-coding RNA molecules known as microRNAs (miRNAs) control the expression of genes following transcription. In COPD, miR-125a-5p and miR-126-3p regulate disease progression; miR-125a-5p is usually low, linked to inflammation, while miR-126-3p varies. This study aims to examine their expression in COPD patients.

The expression levels of miR-125a-5p and miR-126-3p were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a total of 52 healthy individuals and 53 patients diagnosed with COPD, including 16 with stable COPD and 37 experiencing acute exacerbations. Expression data of miRNAs were calculated by log2 - delta delta CT (2^-ΔΔCt). Since most variables did not meet the normality assumption (Shapiro-Wilk, p < 0.05), non-parametric tests were applied. Specifically, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for pairwise comparisons (COPD vs. Control), while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons among three groups (Acute, Stable, and Control). A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The expression levels of miR-125a-5p were significantly lower and those of miR-126-3p significantly higher in COPD patients compared to controls (p = 0.045 and p = 0.034, respectively). However, when Acute COPD, Stable COPD, and Control groups were compared, no statistically significant differences were observed (p > 0.05).

In this study, the expression level of miR-125a-5p was lower and miR-126-3p was higher in COPD patients compared to controls. However, no significant differences were observed among Acute, Stable, and Control groups.