Serum exosome inflamma‐miRs are surrogate biomarkers for asthma phenotype and severity

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with several phenotypes, endotypes and severity degrees, in which different T-cell subpopulations are involved. These cells express specific miRNAs (i.e. inflamma-miRs) that can be released to serum in exosomes after activation and be used as biomarkers of underlying inflammation. Thus, we aim to evaluate specific T-cell miRNA signatures in serum exosomes from different subgroups of asthmatic patients.Methods: Samples from healthy donors (N = 30) and patients (N = 119) with different asthma endotypes (T2 high -Atopic/T2 high -Non-atopic/T2 low ) and severity degrees (mild/MA and moderate-severe/MSA) were used. Demographic, clinical, haematological and biochemical characteristics were collected. Twelve miRNAs previously associated with different Th subsets were preselected and their levels in serum exosome samples were measured using RTqPCR.

Profiling of circulating serum exosomal microRNAs in elderly patients with infectious stress hyperglycaemia

“…inflammamiRs [46]. Relevant evidence suggesting that circulating inflammamiRs, along with IL-6, can measure the degree of inflammaging [47].…”

“Liquid biopsy” - extracellular vesicles as potential novel players towards precision medicine in asthma

“…For example, PCAT19 was suggested as a lncRNA that may serve as a promising immune-related biomarker to distinguish between T2-high and T2-low asthma; however, it was not studied as a part of the EVs content ( 88 ). A novel study associated the levels of four serum EV-miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-126-3p, miR146a-5p, miR-215-5p) with the severity of asthmatic in adults ( 89 ). miR-21-5p and miR-126-3p, involved in Th1/Th2 differentiation, were specifically augmented in T2-high asthma.…”

“…By contrast, IL-6-high patients with MSA, which were older, more obese, with higher neutrophil and basophil counts and TNF levels, manifested a decrease of miR-21-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-146a-5p. Interestingly, the researchers observed a trend towards a decreased expression of all studied miRNAs in mild asthmatics compared to healthy controls, probably due to the effect of inhaled corticosteroids ( 89 ). More research is clearly needed to clarify the role of EV-miRNAs in asthma endotyping/phenotyping and for undergoing treatment, and the current data are too limited to speculate about their possible use in clinical practice.…”

Advances and Highlights of miRNAs in Asthma: Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Treatment

“…A similar approach also recently found that the combined expression of miR-21-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-215-5p derived from serum exosomes was able to differentiate asthma disease severity using a logistic regression model; remarkably, some of these miRNAs were associated with type 2 high atopic asthma (miR-21-5p and miR-126-3p), while others were related to the IL-6 high endotype, or associated obesity, or neutrophilic asthma [ 93 ]. Our research group also tested miRNAs as biomarkers for differentiation of immunological phenotypes of asthma, finding that serum miR-26a-1-3p and miR-376a-3p were differentially expressed in eosinophilic asthmatics, as miR-26a-1-3p inversely correlated with blood eosinophil counts, and miR-376a-3p with FeNO and number of exacerbations [ 94 ].…”