The role of differentially expressed miR-660 in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the significance of miRNA expression levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients clinically diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Method

Pulmonary tuberculosis-related datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed, and DE-miRNAs were screened for Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment to construct a DE-miRNA-DE-mRNA network. The peripheral blood lymphocytes of 10 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 10 patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and 10 healthy volunteers were selected for validation of RNA expression levels. qRT-PCR was done to verify the expression of DE-miRNA, and western blotting was done to check the expression levels of genes of associated pathways.

Results

Differential expression of miR-660 was found in pulmonary tuberculosis through data analysis and literature mining. The differential expression was also confirmed by qRT-PCR in samples from patients and healthy controls. The expression of miR-660 was significantly upregulated (p < 0.01) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis compared with the healthy controls. According to western blotting results, the expression levels of P-NF-κB and AKT in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and NF-κB, P-NF-κB, AKT and p-AKT in patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis were significantly upregulated (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The high expression levels of miR-660 may activate the AKT/NF-κB signalling pathway and has the potential to serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Keywords:

• Tuberculosis
• miR-660
• differentially expressed genes
• clinical diagnostic value

Author contributions

Mu Lin designed the study and drafted the manuscript. Mubo Liu and Xiaojing Han acquired and analyzed the data; Zhu Tang and Xue Tao interpreted the data. Qingqing Ma designed the study and critically revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no competing interests associated with the manuscript.

Informed consent

The authors and the patients consent for the publication of identifiable details, which can include case history and/or details within the text (“Material”) to be published in the above Journal and Article.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Guizhou Provincial Health Commission [gzwkj2022-209, gzwkj2021-526], Guizhou Province Science and Technology Department [Qianke Foundation-ZK(2022)General 300], and Zunyi Science and Technology Bureau of Guizhou Province [Zunshi Kehe Support NZ (2020) No. 171, Zunhui Kehe (2020) No. 8].