Circulating plasma microRNAs as biomarkers for iron status in blood donors

摘要

Objectives To investigate whether microRNAs can serve as biomarkers for iron status in blood donors. Background Serum ferritin is a widely used biochemical test for detecting iron deficiency, but it has its limitations. Certain microRNAs (miRNAs) reportedly have a role in regulating iron homeostasis. Circulating miRNAs have been reported as potential biomarkers for various conditions but have not yet been studied in iron deficiency. Methods Participating blood donors were divided into two groups: high ferritin (HF) (>150 mu g L-1) and low ferritin (LF) (<15 mu g L-1). MiRNA analysis was performed by an miRNA profiling service (Exiqon) using commercial qPCR assays. The study had two phases: (i) a pilot study (20 participants) where 179 miRNAs were analysed and (ii) a confirmation study (50 participants) of 13 selected miRNAs. Results Mean serum ferritin was 13 center dot 8 mu g L-1 in the LF arm compared to 231 mu g L-1 in the HF group (P < 0 center dot 001). Hepcidin plasma levels were higher in the HF arm (P < 0 center dot 001), whereas soluble transferrin receptor 1 was higher in the LF group (P < 0 center dot 001). In the pilot study, samples did not separate according to study group on unsupervised analysis. When directly comparing HF vs LF groups, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed (P < 0 center dot 05, t-test) but did not pass correction for multiple testing. The confirmation study of 13 selected miRNAs verified these findings as no miRNA was significantly different between the study groups. Conclusion In this study, circulating plasma miRNAs did not emerge as promising biomarkers for iron status in healthy individuals. However, in the future, alternative detection methods such as next-generation sequencing might indicate miRNAs that correlate with iron stores.