title: Preliminary comparison of plasma notch-associated microRNA-34b and -34c levels in drug naive, first episode depressed patients and healthy controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common debilitating disease of unknown etiology. The expression of miRNA is closely related to depression and efficacy of antidepressant therapy. However, whether Notch-associated miRNAs expressions involved in first-episode of MDD are still unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the expression levels of Notch1, Hes1 mRNA and 5 miRNAs (miR-369-3p, miR-34b-5p, miR-34c-5p, miR-381 and miR-107) in peripheral blood leukocytes of 32 MDD patients and 32 healthy controls were detected using qRT-PCR method. We also assessed the severity of depressive symptom, suicide risk level, negative life events and event-related potential P300.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of miR-34b-5p (62.49 as the median of cases group and 38.62 as median of control group) and miR-34c-5p (7.17 as the median of cases group and 5.45 as median of control group) in MDD patients were significantly higher than these in control subjects. NOTCH1 gene were significantly lower in MDD patients (5.35 as the median of cases group and 6.80 as median of control group), and was negatively correlated with the expression miR-34c-5p and miR-34b-5p. The expression level of miR-34b-5p and miR-369-3p were significantly lower in patients with suicide idea. N1 latency of P300 were positive correlated with miR-34c-5p, miR-107 and miR-381, and P2 latency of P300 were positive correlated with miR-34c-5p, miR-107 and miR-381.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sample size was small and the role of candidate miRNAs in the regulation of Notch1 gene and cognitive function are still need to be further investigated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differentially Notch-associated miRNAs expressions in peripheral blood might be involved in MDD, and the miR-34b-5p and miR-34c-5p levels in peripheral blood leukocytes are closely related to MDD, suicide idea and cognitive function, further studies with large sample size are warranted to test the feasibility of these miRNAs serving as biomarkers for MDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China; Nuring College of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Chunxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Zhifen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xinrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. Electronic address: krzhang_sxmu@vip.163.com.
authors.forename: Kerang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs; C497761:NOTCH1 protein, human; D051881:Receptor, Notch1
keywords: Major depressive disorder; MicroRNAs; Neural plasticity; Notch signal pathway; Peripheral blood leukocytes