Biomarker potential of hsa-miR-145-5p in peripheral whole blood of manic bipolar I patients

Objective: Bipolar I disorder (BD-I) is a type of bipolar spectrum disorder characterized by manic or mixed episodes. Detecting microRNA regulations as epigenetic actors in BD-I is important to elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease and reveal the potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers. Methods: We evaluated the expression profile of six candidate miRNAs (hsa-miR-145-5p, hsa-miR-376a-3p, hsa-miR-3680-5p, hsa-miR-4253-5p, hsa-miR-4482-3p, and hsa-miR-4725) in patients with BD-I and in healthy controls (aged 11-50 years). We also determined the potential target genes of these miRNAs through in silico analysis. The diagnostic values of the miRNAs were calculated through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Four miRNAs were upregulated (hsa-miR-376a-3p, hsa-miR-3680-5p, hsa-miR-4253-5p, hsa-miR-4482-3p) and hsa-miR-145-5p was downregulated in patients (p < 0.001). The target gene analyses showed that hsa-miR-145-5p specifically targets the dopamine decarboxylase (DDC) gene. The area under the curve of hsa-miR-145-5p was 0.987. Conclusion: Differential expression of five miRNAs in peripheral blood may be associated with the pathogenesis of BD-I, and hsa-miR-145-5p has potential as a BD-I biomarker. This miRNA can be used in dopamine-serotonin regulation and dose adjustment in drug therapy via the DDC gene.

Evaluation of TLR2 and TLR4 Polymorphisms in Chronic HBV Infection.

Aims: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a central role in initiating innate response by mediating inflammatory reactions against a wide range of pathogens. We aimed to determine if TLR2 Arg753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms are associated with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Study Design: A case-control study. Methodology: Genomic DNA was obtained from peripheral blood of 100 patients with chronic HBV infection and 108 healthy volunteer controls. The TLR2 and TLR4 polymorphisms were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Results: The distribution of the TLR2 Arg753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly and TLR4 Thr399Ile variants were not significantly different between patients and controls (P = .05). Conclusion: Our results showed that there is no association between TLR2 Arg753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly and TLR4 Thr399Ile polymorphisms and chronic HBV infection.