OBJECTIVE

To screen the plasma microRNA (miRNA) profile of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients.

METHODS

Agilent 19.0 miRNA microarray was used to detect the expression profile of miRNA in plasma from 25 ITP patients and 20 healthy controls from June 2012 to September 2013. The software programs of TargetScan and miRanda were used for predicting target genes associated with differential miRNA. Then gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis were performed to explore the genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ITP. And differential miRNA was validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

A genome-wide miRNA array revealed 29 differential miRNAs in the plasma samples of ITP patients including 15 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated miRNA. A total of 608 potential genes were predicted by TargetScan and miRanda.GO result showed that there were 475 (78.12%), 491(80.76%) and 533 (87.66%) genes respectively involved in biological process, molecular function and cellular component.Enrichment test showed 9 GO terms had significant difference (P < 0.05). Pathway analysis showed that 157 pathways were associated with 608 genes.Enrichment test showed 25 pathways had significant difference (P < 0.05). As revealed by real-time PCR, the expressions of miRNA4778-5p and miRNA4800-5p became obviously up-regulated while those of miRNA4707-5p, miRNA4721, miRNA3620-3p and miRNA378i decreased (all P < 0.05). The results agreed with those of microarray.

CONCLUSIONS

The plasma differential miRNA profiles are identified in ITP patients. And miRNA is involved in calcium signaling pathway and T cell receptor signaling pathway may be associated with ITP pathogenesis.