Downregulation of serum miR-106b: a potential biomarker for Alzheimer disease

Abstract

Analysis of miRNAs has a strong potential for the identification of novel prognostic or predictive biomarkers in the serum of AD patients. In this study, we investigated the serum levels of miR-106b as a diagnostic biomarker for AD and evaluate its predictive value for therapeutic response to the drug rivastigmine. Patients were divided into either responding (n = 33) or non-responding (n = 23) groups according to rivastigmine treatment and to Mini-Mental State Exam score. The serum concentrations of miR-106b were measured with real-time PCR. Here, we found that miR-106b was significantly down-regulated in the serum samples of AD patients compared with those of controls (p < .001). ROC results showed a specificity of 62% and a sensitivity of 94%. The serum values of miR-106b tended to be positively associated with the therapeutic response but were not significant (p = .15). Taken together, detection of serum miR-106b might be a promising serum biomarker for early diagnosis of AD.

Keywords:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• microRNA
• biomarker
• serum

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to thanks Dr. Massoud Ghiasian to provide the patient samples and their clinical data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was financially supported by Research & Technology Deputy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences [grant No 9603302132].