MicroRNA Expression Analysis in the Blood of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Using Heat-Map Analysis

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system, primarily characterized by demyelination, which disrupts neuronal function. Remyelination, the process of forming a new myelin sheath around axons, is crucial for MS patients as it helps restore neurological function. MicroRNA (miRNA) molecules, known for their role in regulating gene expression, are believed to play an important role in remyelination. The small, non-coding miR-219 and miR-338 are known to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation by inhibiting negative regulators. These miRNAs have also been shown to work in concert during myelination and myelin sheath repair. The aim of this study was to perform a heat-map analysis to compare the expression of miR-219a-5p and miR-338-5p between MS patients and controls. Methods: Blood samples were collected into special Tempus blood tubes. RNA was isolated from blood using mirVana™ miRNA Isolation Kit (ThermoFisher Scientific (TFS), USA) and the cDNR synthesis was performed using the TaqMan® Advanced miRNA cDNA Synthesis Kit (TFS, USA). MiRNA expression was detected by using qRT-PCR method and the results were analyzed with ThermoFisher Cloud platform. Data visualization was performed using heat-map method. The significance of the results was assessed using SPSS Statistics 29.0.2.0. Results: In this study, miRNA expression in blood samples was analyzed for 20 MS patients and 43 controls. The heat-map analysis revealed that miR-338-5p expression was lower in the patient group. Conclusion: Heat-map analysis offers a comprehensive view of the miRNA expression profiles in MS patients compared to the control group, facilitating the identification of miRNAs as potential diagnostic markers.