Circulating microRNAs as biomarkers in pediatric epilepsy: A longitudinal cohort study - PubMed
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- #microRNA
- #biomarker
- #pediatric-epilepsy
- Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in children, with one-third developing drug-resistant seizures.
- The study evaluated four circulating microRNAs (miR-15a-5p, miR-106b-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-152-3p) as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in pediatric epilepsy.
- 122 pediatric patients with epilepsy and 29 healthy controls were enrolled, with serum miRNAs measured via RT-qPCR.
- All four miRNAs were significantly upregulated in children with epilepsy compared to controls.
- miR-146a-5p expression varied by epilepsy etiology, being higher in structural cases.
- miR-15a-5p and miR-106b-5p correlated with seizure frequency, showing higher expression in patients with frequent seizures.
- Longitudinal analysis revealed increased miR-15a-5p and miR-106b-5p over time, independent of clinical outcome, while miR-146a-5p remained stable.
- miR-146a-5p may aid in etiologic classification, while miR-15a-5p and miR-106b-5p could indicate disease burden and treatment response.