A preliminary analysis of microRNA as potential clinical biomarker for schizophrenia

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR) have been implicated as promising blood-based biomarkers for schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to clinically validate miRNA as potential schizophrenia biomarkers. Plasma levels of 10 miRNAs were analyzed using qPCR in a cohort of 61 schizophrenia patients and 62 normal controls, as well as 25 patients particularly selected for a six-week antipsychotic treatment course. Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment Scale (GAS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were administered to assess the clinical symptoms. The results demonstrated that a panel of miRNAs consisting of miR-30e, miR-181b, miR-34a, miR-346 and miR-7 had significantly increased expression levels with significant combined diagnostic value (AUC:0.713; sensitivity:35.5%; specificity:90.2%). In response to pharmacological treatment, expression levels of miR-132, miR-181b, miR-432 and miR-30e were significantly decreased. In addition, the improvement of clinical symptomatology was significantly correlated with the changes of miR-132, miR-181b, miR-212 and miR-30e expression levels. Furthermore, the decreases of plasma levels of miR-132 and miR-432 were significantly greater in high-effect subgroup than those in low-effect subgroup after six-week treatment course. We conclude that miR-30e, miR-181b, miR-34a, miR-346 and miR-7 combined as a panel are potentially useful non-invasive biomarkers for schizophrenia diagnosis. Markers miR-132, miR-181b, miR-30e and miR-432 are potential indicators for symptomatology improvements, treatment responses and prognosis for schizophrenia patients.

The schizophrenia risk gene MIR137 acts as a hippocampal gene network node orchestrating the expression of genes relevant to nervous system development and function

“…Shi et al (2012) suggested that miR-181b, miR-219-2-3p, miR-346, miR-195, miR-1308, miR-92a, miR-17, miR-103 and let-7g are the key players to reflect the SZ illnesses status, 63 while increased expression levels of miR-132, miR-195, miR-30e and miR-7 in plasma, and miR-212, miR-34a and miR-30e in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was recently reported, this study concluded that miR-30e in plasma is the best potential biomarker. 64 Moreover, PBMCs of SZ patients showed increased expression miR-1273d, miR-1303, miR-21, miR-3064-5p, miR-3131, miR-3687, miR-4428, miR-4725-3p, miR-5096 suggesting that a combination of these miRNAs could serve as potential biomarkers. 65 Up to date, no evidence has been obtained for miR-137 as a diagnostic marker 16 .…”

The microRNA network is altered in anterior cingulate cortex of patients with unipolar and bipolar depression

“…While miRNA expression has been examined across a multitude of psychiatric illnesses, encompassing several brain regions, cell types and blood (Bavamian et al, 2015, Fan et al, 2014, Kim, Reimers, 2010, Miller, Zeier, 2012, Moreau, Bruse, 2011, Sun et al, 2015, Walker et al, 2015), to our knowledge this is the first work to examine miRNAs dysregulated as a function of psychiatric illness in AnCg. Additionally, comparing prior work examining miRNA dysregulation in the DLPFC—another brain region of intense interest in the pathology of mental illness—of BP and MDD patients to our results in AnCg, we see little overlap in the specific miRNA species dysregulated as a function of anatomy (e.g.…”

An Update on the Epigenetics of Psychotic Diseases and Autism

“… miR-30e, miR-181b, miR-34a, miR-346 and miR-7 ( of miR-181b, miR-30e miR-132 and miR-432 upon antipsychotic treatment) SCZ (plasma, 62/61) [193] Bavamian et al…”