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MicroRNA -21 expression as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker of acute brucellosis

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Abstract

Background

This study aimed to measure the expression levels of peripheral blood miRNAs in brucellosis and their involvement in the different phases of the brucellosis.

Methods

The expression levels of miRNAs including miR-210, miR-155, miR-150, miR-146a, miR-139-3p, miR-125a-5p, miR-29 and miR-21 were quantified in 57 brucellosis patients subgrouped into acute, under treatment & relapse phase and 30 healthy controls (HCs) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis curve analysis was performed to find a biomarker for discrimination of different phases of brucellosis.

Results

The expression of miR-155, miR-146a, miR-125a-5p, miR-29, and miR-21 was found to be elevated in the acute brucellosis patients compared to HCs. miR-29 changed in under-treatment patients, while miR-139-3p and miR-125a-5p showed alterations in relapse cases. The ROC curve analysis depicted the potential involvement of miR-21 in the pathogenesis of acute brucellosis.

Conclusion

The expression level of miR-21 is significantly augmented in acute brucellosis and has the potential to be a contributing diagnostic factor for acute infection.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support from Hamadan University of Medical Science.

Funding

This study was funded by Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: # 9607044220), Hamadan, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Shariati Ave, Opposite to Lona Park, P.O. Box: 6517838736, Hamadan, Iran

    Mahsa Rezaeepoor, Fariba Keramat, Sanaz Jourghasemi, Mina Rahmanpour, Mehrdad Hajilooi & Ghasem Solgi

  2. Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Fariba Keramat

  3. Cancer Genetic Laboratory, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer-Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 410210, India

    Anuja Lipsa

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  1. Mahsa Rezaeepoor
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Contributions

MR: Investigation, conducting of the experiments, analysis, writing. FK: Brucellosis diagnosis and introducing patients. SJ: Investigation, conducting of the experiments. MR: Investigation, conducting of the experiments. AL: Editing and analysis. MH: Project administration, funding acquisition GS: Supervision, Review, Editing.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mehrdad Hajilooi or Ghasem Solgi.

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Conflict of interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (No: IR.UMSHA.REC.1396.441).

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Supplementary Information

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11033_2023_9193_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Supplementary file1 (TIF 97 KB)—The network was designed using the STRING11.0 database. Red nodes represent proteins with a negative regulatory role in cytokine production by macrophage. Blue nodes represent related molecules that have roles in the negative regulation of cytokines. Green, yellow, and purple nodes were used for indicating molecules that participate in negative regulation of immune response, immune effector process, and inflammatory responses, respectively.

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Rezaeepoor, M., Keramat, F., Jourghasemi, S. et al. MicroRNA -21 expression as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker of acute brucellosis. Mol Biol Rep 51, 264 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-023-09193-8

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