High-throughput sequencing of plasma microRNA in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

Ekua W Brenu; Kevin J Ashton; Jana Batovska; Donald R Staines; Sonya M Marshall-Gradisnik

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102783

High-throughput sequencing of plasma microRNA in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 19;9(9):e102783. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102783. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Ekua W Brenu¹, Kevin J Ashton², Jana Batovska², Donald R Staines³, Sonya M Marshall-Gradisnik¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Medical Science, Griffith Health Centre, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; The National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
² Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia.
³ The National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Health, Gold Coast Public Health Unit, Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to regulate many biological processes and their dysregulation has been associated with a variety of diseases including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The recent discovery of stable and reproducible miRNA in plasma has raised the possibility that circulating miRNAs may serve as novel diagnostic markers. The objective of this study was to determine the role of plasma miRNA in CFS/ME.

Results: Using Illumina high-throughput sequencing we identified 19 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in the plasma of CFS/ME patients in comparison to non-fatigued controls. Following RT-qPCR analysis, we were able to confirm the significant up-regulation of three miRNAs (hsa-miR-127-3p, hsa-miR-142-5p and hsa-miR-143-3p) in the CFS/ME patients.

Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify circulating miRNAs from CFS/ME patients and also to confirm three differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in CFS/ME patients, providing a basis for further study to find useful CFS/ME biomarkers.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / genetics*
Gene Expression Regulation
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
Humans
MicroRNAs / blood
MicroRNAs / genetics*
Middle Aged
Up-Regulation

Substances

MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

This research was funded and supported by the Mason Foundation (grant number 43120) and the Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation (grant number HF 201). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.