microRNAs as potential new biomarkers for Pleural Tuberculosis.

SPINELLI, S.V.; FERNANDEZ, R DEL V; D'ATTILIO, L; BOGUE, C; BAY, M.L.; BOTTASSO, O.A.

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LIX Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones Clínicas y LXII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; 2014

Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones Clínicas y Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Tuberculosis (TB) may be regarded as a disease in which the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, its etiologic agent, is engaged both in protection and pathology. Cell specific microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for several diseases, but their correlation with the progress of TB has not been extensively studied. Previews works performed in our lab demonstrated distinct miRNA signatures in cells obtained from the site of infection compared with those obtained from the peripheral compartments, with a strong down-regulation of miR-223, miR-421 and miR-146a in mononuclear cells from pleural fluids of TB patients. In this work we tested whether the expression of these microRNAs is specifically associated to TB by employing samples obtained from patients with both tuberculous and nontuberculous pleurisy. Using the stem loop RT-PCR technique we were able to quantify the expression of the three microRNAs in both samples. Interestingly, we found that miR-421 expression levels were significantly lower in samples obtained from TB patients, pointing out its potential as a new biomarker for the disease. Little is known about miR-421 function but Gene Onthlogy Terms analysis performed on miR-421 putative targets reveals an enrichment of processes associated with fatty acid metabolism. Present results contribute to a better knowledge of the role of miRNAs in the modulation of host responses in TB pathogenesis.