Semen-specific miRNAs: Suitable for the distinction of infertile semen in the body fluid identification?

Huan Tian; Meili Lv; Zhilong Li; Duo Peng; Yu Tan; Hui Wang; Qingqing Li; Fuping Li; Weibo Liang

doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2017.12.010

Semen-specific miRNAs: Suitable for the distinction of infertile semen in the body fluid identification?

Forensic Sci Int Genet. 2018 Mar:33:161-167. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2017.12.010. Epub 2017 Dec 19.

Authors

Huan Tian¹, Meili Lv¹, Zhilong Li¹, Duo Peng¹, Yu Tan¹, Hui Wang², Qingqing Li², Fuping Li³, Weibo Liang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Forensic Genetics, West China School of Basic Medical Science and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
² Institute of Forensic Science, Chengdu Public Security Bureau, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan, China.
³ Human Sperm Bank, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: lfpsnake@126.com.
⁴ Department of Forensic Genetics, West China School of Basic Medical Science and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: liangweibo@scu.edu.cn.

PMID: 29304462
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2017.12.010

Abstract

Non-protein coding RNA, miRNAs (microRNAs), are a class of promising molecular biomarkers for forensic body fluid identification (BFI) as their small size and tissue-specific expression manners. A number of studies have shown that semen can be distinguished from forensic-related body fluids (such as menstrual blood, venous blood, vaginal fluid, saliva, etc.) using semen-specific miRNAs through microassay screening and RT-qRCR. Infertility is becoming a global health problem, affecting 10%-15% of couples worldwide, and half of the cases are the result of male factors (Lian et al., 2009 [1]). Forensic researchers have to consider the impact of semen infertility on semen identification with a high incidence of infertility. In the present study, normal semen (NS) and four other types of infertile semen samples, including asthenospermia (AS), oligospermia (OS), azoospermia (AZ), oligospermia and asthenospermia (OSAS) semen, were collected. The expression levels of a set of semen-specific miRNA markers (miR-10a, miR-10b, miR-135a, miR-135b, miR-888 and miR-891a) were evaluated using a real-time quantitative PCR technique with a specific fluorescence-labelled TaqMan probe. The results showed the significantly high expression of these miRNAs in normal semen, and the molecules have semen specificity. Nevertheless, a distinct down-regulation in the expression of infertile samples compared with normal semen samples was observed. Moreover, differences in the results of selected optimal biomarkers between the discriminant function and two-dimensional scatter plots were also detected. The goal of the present study was to identify a small set of semen-specific miRNAs that efficiently and accurately distinguish semen (fertile and infertile) from other forensic-related body fluids. The results of the present study suggest that attention should be paid to infertile semen samples when using miRNAs to identify semen samples, for which would have a far-reaching impact on forensic identification.

Keywords: MicroRNA; qPCR; semen identification; semen infertility.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adult
Discriminant Analysis
Down-Regulation
Fluorescence
Forensic Genetics
Humans
Infertility, Male / metabolism*
Male
MicroRNAs / metabolism*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Semen / chemistry*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Taq Polymerase
Young Adult

Substances

MicroRNAs
Taq Polymerase