Circulating miR-146a-5p and miR-98-5p as Indicators of Inflammatory Response and Joint Pain in Chikungunya Fever

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection often results in chronic manifestations such as joint pain and fatigue. Recent evidence suggests that host microRNAs (miRNAs) may modulate antiviral and inflammatory responses during infection. This study aimed to investigate serum expression patterns of inflammation-related miRNAs in Chikungunya patients and to explore their association with disease severity, particularly arthralgia.

A total of 55 laboratory-confirmed Chikungunya patients and 55 healthy controls were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and hematological parameters were recorded, and serum samples were collected for miRNA extraction. The expression levels of five selected miRNAs (miR-10a-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-98-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-155a-5p) were quantified by real-time PCR. Statistical analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve evaluations were performed to assess differential expression and diagnostic performance. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted based on the presence or absence of arthralgia.

Compared with healthy controls, Chikungunya patients exhibited marked hematological alterations, including reduced WBC, LYM, RBC, HGB, HCT, and PLT counts, as well as elevated AISI and serum AST and LDH levels, indicating a strong systemic inflammatory response. Among the analyzed miRNAs, miR-146a-5p was significantly upregulated (P < 0.0001), while miR-98-5p was markedly downregulated (P = 0.0007) in infected patients. ROC analysis demonstrated that miR-146a-5p (area under the curve, AUC = 0.77) and miR-98-5p (AUC = 0.69) possess promising diagnostic potential. Notably, miR-98-5p expression was significantly lower in patients with arthralgia compared with those without (P = 0.0187), suggesting its involvement in joint inflammatory manifestations.

This study found that Chikungunya virus infection significantly alters serum miRNA expression, with miR-146a-5p and miR-98-5p potentially associated with systemic inflammation and joint pain. These findings suggest that both miRNAs play important roles in the host inflammatory response and may serve as potential diagnostic or therapeutic targets for Chikungunya-related complications.