Synergistic interaction between tuberculosis and depression: Changes in miRNA expression

Depression in TB patients results in non-adherence to anti-TB treatment, prolonged infectiousness, drug resistance and constitutes a significant obstacle to the elimination of TB. Understanding and addressing the social and biological complexities of TB is critical to controlling TB. In this study, the expression levels of miR-128-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-107, miR-134-5p, miR-135a and miR-1202 which are associated with Depression (DP) pathology, were investigated in active Tuberculosis (TB), patients in order to evaluate the synergy between TB and DP.

The study was carried out with 2 groups: TB Patient Group and Control Group. Expression levels of miRNAs were detected by Real-Time PCR method.

It was determined that miR-128-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-107, miR-134-5p and miR-135a expression levels in the TB Patient Group showed a statistically significant increase compared to the Control Group (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the groups in miR-1202 levels (p = 0.169).

The fact that miR-128-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-24-3p, whose expressions were detected to increase in DP patients in previous studies, were also found to be increased in TB patients in this study, suggests that the miRNAs mentioned may be effective in the synergy between TB and DP. In addition, miR-24-3p, miR-107, miR-134-5p and miR-135a, whose expression was increased in TB patients in this study, can be considered as new biomarker candidates for TB.