Purpose@#The aim of this study was to compare
microRNA (
miRNA )
gene expression in
saliva using
miRNA polymerase chain reaction (
PCR ) arrays in healthy and
aggressive periodontitis (AP)
patients . @*
Methods @#
PCR arrays of 84
miRNAs related to the
human inflammatory response and
autoimmunity from the
saliva samples of 4
patients with AP and 4 healthy controls were performed. The functions and
diseases related to the
miRNAs were obtained using TAM 2.0. Experimentally validated targets of differentially expressed
miRNAs were obtained from mirTarBase.
Gene ontology terms and pathways were analyzed using ConsensusPathDB. @*Results@#Four downregulated
miRNAs (hsa-
let -7a-5p, hsa-
let -7f-5p, hsa-miR-181b-5p, and hsa-miR-23b-3p) were identified in
patients with AP. These
miRNAs are associated with
cell death and
innate immunity , and they target
genes associated with
osteoclast development and function. @*Conclusions@#This study is the first
analysis of
miRNAs in the
saliva of
patients with AP.Identifying discriminatory
human salivary
miRNA biomarkers reflective of
periodontal disease in a non-invasive
screening assay is crucial for the development of salivary diagnostics. These data provide a first step towards the discovery of key salivary
miRNA biomarkers for AP.