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Non-Coding RNAs as Emerging Biomarkers in Leishmaniasis and Chagas Disease
Eduardo Ramos Juárez1, Eduardo Pérez-Campos Mayoral2, Laura Pérez-Campos Mayoral2
1División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico/Instituto Tecnológico de Oaxaca, Oaxaca 68030, Mexico.
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
|November 26, 2025
Summary
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) show promise as biomarkers for diagnosing neglected tropical diseases like leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. While some ncRNAs accurately detect leishmaniasis infection, others help assess Chagas disease severity and cardiac complications.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Parasitology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are neglected tropical diseases with significant global health impact.
- Current diagnostic tools are limited, and available therapies for these diseases are toxic.
- Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are released by parasites and modulate host-pathogen interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and propose the use of ncRNAs as diagnostic markers for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
- To evaluate the diagnostic potential of ncRNAs based on studies published between 2010 and 2024.
- To differentiate ncRNAs for infection diagnosis versus disease severity assessment.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of studies from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2010-2024).
- Assessment of study quality using the SANRA scale.
- Analysis of ncRNA expression profiles, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).
Main Results:
- Distinct miRNA profiles (e.g., miR-155-5p) show high diagnostic accuracy for leishmaniasis infection (AUC up to 1.0).
- Serum lncRNAs (MALAT1, NUTM2A-AS1) show potential for leishmaniasis diagnosis, pending validation.
- Host miRNAs (e.g., miR-21, miR-146a/b) correlate with cardiac involvement in chronic Chagas disease, with modest diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for cardiomyopathy.
Conclusions:
- Altered ncRNA expression profiles are promising biomarkers for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease diagnosis.
- ncRNAs can aid in species differentiation, treatment monitoring, and assessing cardiac complications in Chagas disease.
- Further clinical validation is needed, particularly for lncRNAs in leishmaniasis and ncRNAs in early Chagas infection.
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