title: MiR-422a as a potential cellular microRNA biomarker for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs. Recently, miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in the etiology of various diseases. However, little is known about their roles in the development of osteoporosis. Circulating monocytes are osteoclast precursors that also produce various factors important for osteoclastogenesis. Previously, we have identified a potential biomarker miR-133a in circulating monocytes for postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this study, we aimed to further identify significant miRNA biomarkers in human circulating monocytes underlying postmenopausal osteoporosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We used ABI TaqMan miRNA array followed by qRT-PCR validation in human circulating monocytes from 10 high BMD and 10 low BMD postmenopausal Caucasian women to identify miRNA biomarkers. MiR-422a was up-regulated with marginal significance (P = 0.065) in the low compared with the high BMD group in the array analysis. However, a significant up-regulation of miR-422a was identified in the low BMD group by qRT-PCR analysis (P = 0.029). We also performed bioinformatic target gene analysis and found several potential target genes of miR-422a which are involved in osteoclastogenesis. Further qRT-PCR analyses of the target genes in the same study subjects showed that the expression of five of these genes (CBL, CD226, IGF1, PAG1, and TOB2) correlated negatively with miR-422a expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that miR-422a in human circulating monocytes (osteoclast precursors) is a potential miRNA biomarker underlying postmenopausal osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China; Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Benjamin T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xian-Hao
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lappe
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Recker
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015519:Bone Density; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C574206:MIRN422 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs