Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability among young adults in the United States. While altered sensory, motor, cognitive function, and head computed tomography (CT) scans are routinely used to diagnose TBI and to assess injury severity, the availability of a blood-based diagnostic test would supplement clinical assessment and management of TBI patients. Researchers at the Smith Center for Neurologic Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center examined if plasma miRNA levels are altered in patients with TBI relative to matched healthy volunteers, and their potential for use as diagnostic TBI biomarkers. The plasma miRNA profiles from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients and age-, gender-, and race-matched healthy volunteers were compared using LC Sciences’ miRNA microarray service. Of the 108 miRNAs identified in healthy volunteer plasma, about half were altered after severe TBI. Further analysis indicated that several miRNAs were good markers of severe TBI and that combining these miRNAs markedly increased diagnostic accuracy. These results demonstrate that circulating miRNA levels are altered after TBI, providing a rich new source of potential molecular biomarkers. Plasma-derived miRNA biomarkers, used in combination with established clinical practices such as imaging, neurocognitive, and motor examinations, have the potential to improve TBI patient classification and possibly management.

 

 

Diagnostic value of plasma miRNAs for identifying mild TBI patients

LC Sciences

RNA was purified from plasma samples collected within the first 10 h after injury, and miRNA relative abundance was determined by qRT-PCR.  Dot histogram plots of the ΔCT values for (A) miR-16, (B) miR-26a, (C) miR-92a, (D) miR-638, or (E) miR-765. (F) Area under the curve (AUC) values obtained from ROC analysis for each miRNA (*p < 0.05 by two-tailed Student’s t-test; healthy volunteer [HV], n = 8; mild TBI [mTBI], n  = 11; miRNA, microRNA; qRT-PCR, quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; TBI, traumatic brain injury; ROC, receiver operating characteristic).

Related Service

miRNA Microarray Service – LC Sciences provides a miRNA expression profiling service using microarrays based on our in-house developed µParaflo® technology platform. We have standard arrays for all mature miRNAs of all species available in the latest version of the miRBase database (Release 21, July 2014). Our service is comprehensive and includes sample labeling, array hybridization, image data processing and in-depth data analysis. Two-three weeks after receiving your total RNA samples, we’ll send you both the raw and fully analyzed data. [Learn more…]

Reference

Redell JB, Moore AN, Ward Iii NH, Hergenroeder GW, Dash PK. (2010) Human traumatic brain injury alters plasma microRNA levels. J Neurotrauma 27(12):2147-56. [abstract]