The Potential Role of miRNA-19b-3p and miRNA-320c in Patients with Moderate Bronchial Asthma

Abstract

Background: Bronchial Asthma (BA) is a complex heterogeneous disease with a number of molecular immunopathological mechanisms underlying airway inflammation, hyperreactivity, and bronchial remodeling. MicroRNAs are important regulators in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic respiratory diseases, including BA.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the level of expression of cell-free circulating miR-19b-3p and miR-320c in the blood plasma by comparing their plasma levels with IL-4 in the moderate BA patients and control group.

Methods: The level of expression miR-19b-3p and miR-320c were evaluated by qRT-PCR using the comparative threshold cycle (Ct) method. U6 small nuclear RNA was taken as an endogenous control. The content of IL - 4 in blood plasma was determined by using ELISA.

Results: miR-19b-3p and miR-320c were significantly dysregulated in moderate asthmatic patients in comparison with control group. The area under the ROC curve of miR-19b-3p and miR-320c showed 0.8088 (95% CI 0.6925 to 0.9251, P value =0.0001) and 0,9048 (95% CI 0,7792 to 1,000, P value <0,0001), respectively. BA patients showed a considerably positive correlation between the expression level of microRNA-320c and IL-4 levels.

Conclusion: These cell-free circulating microRNAs are probably deregulated in other inflammatory/ pathological diseases, so they could be useful to understand the molecular pathogenesis of BA or to investigate the "inflammatory reaction" in this disease.

Keywords: IL-4; biomarker; bronchial asthma; inflammatory reaction; microRNA-19b-3p; microRNA-320c.