Combining inflammatory miRNA molecules as diagnostic biomarkers for depression: a clinical study

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Psychiatry

Sara Pinto¹  Joana Prata²  Rui Coelho³  Orlando von Doellinger⁴  Susana Gomes Santos⁵  João Paulo Brás⁶  Mário Adolfo Barbosa⁶  Maria Inês Almeida⁶ 

[1] i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;FMUP-Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;FMUP-Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal;i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;FMUP-Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;Departmento de Neurociências Clínicas e Saúde Mental, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal;i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;FMUP-Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;Departmento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa, Penafiel, Portugal;i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;

关键词: depression;    inflammation;    MicroRNAs;    PBMCs;    cytokines;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1227618

 received in 2023-05-23, accepted in 2023-07-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundInflammation has been implicated in core features of depression pathophysiology and treatment resistance. Therefore, new challenges in the discovery of inflammatory mediators implicated in depression have emerged. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found aberrantly expressed in several pathologies, increasing their potential as biomarkers and therapeutical targets. In this study, the aim was to assess the changes and biomarker potential of inflammation-related miRNAs in depression patients.MethodsDepression diagnosis was performed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). 40 healthy controls and 32 depression patients were included in the study. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured in plasma, and expression levels of cytokines and inflammation-related miRNAs were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).ResultsDepression patients were found to have a pro-inflammatory profile in plasma, with significantly higher levels of TNF-α and CCL2 compared with controls. In PBMCs of depression patients, TNF-α and IL-6 expression levels were significantly up and downregulated, respectively. Moreover, miR-342 levels were found upregulated, while miR-146a and miR-155 were significantly downregulated. miR-342 expression levels were positively correlated with TNF-α. Importantly, when analyzed as a diagnostic panel, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis of miR-342, miR-146a, miR-155 in combination, showed to be highly specific and sensitive in distinguishing between depression patients and healthy controls.ConclusionIn summary, these findings suggest that inflammation-related miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in depression patients. Moreover, we show evidences on the potential of the combination of dysregulated miRNAs as a powerful diagnostic tool for depression.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Brás, Pinto, von Doellinger, Prata, Coelho, Barbosa, Almeida and Santos.