ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in the regulation of allergic rhinitis (AR), but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This case-control study aimed to measure the expression levels of serum miRNAs in children with AR, to evaluate their potential as diagnostic markers, and investigate the association between miRNAs and IL-4, total nasal symptom score (TNSS), and specific IgE (Artemisia). METHODS: Twenty allergic rhinitis patients and 20 healthy controls were included. The expression levels of serum miR-18a-5p, miR-142-5p, miR-155-5p, and miR-3687 were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Serum cytokine levels were measured using IL-4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Nasal symptoms were assessed using the TNSS. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test the diagnostic ability of the study parameters. RESULTS: The AR case group had a higher serum expression of miR-142-5p, miR-155-5p, and IL-4 than did the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the serum miR-18a-5p and miR-3687 expression levels between the two groups. We found that serum miR-142-5p and miR-155-5p levels were positively correlated with the expression of specific IgE (Artemisia). TNSS did not correlate with miR-142-5p or miR-155-5p levels. In addition, no significant correlation was identified between miR-142-5p and IL-4 expression, whereas miR-155-5p was positively correlated with IL-4 expression. The receiver operating characteristic curve did not look promising. The AUC was around 0.7 and it was not high enough for diagnostic tool. CONCLUSION: The expression levels of serum miR-142-5p and miR-155-5p were upregulated in children with AR; however, they were insufficient as diagnostic tools for AR. MiR-155-5p may be involved in T helper type 2 cell-mediated immune response.
