title: Expression profile of plasma microRNAs in nonsyndromic cleft lip and their clinical significance as biomarkers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the expression profile of plasma microRNAs in nonsyndromic cleft lip (NSCL) and their clinical significance as biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Agilent human miRNA microarray chips were used to analyze three NSCL plasma samples (mixed as CL group) and three normal plasma samples (mixed as Control group). Six selected plasma miRNAs were validated using qRT-PCR between another 13 CL and 11 healthy children. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied for three elevated miRNAs, miR-16-2-3p, miR-365a-3p and miR-877-5p. Their target genes were further assessed using gene ontology and pathway analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma miRNA differentially expressed (fold change ≥2) amounted to 305. In particular, it had been validated that miR-16-2-3p, miR-365a-3p and miR-877-5p were elevated in NSCL plasma samples. ROC curve analysis revealed that each microRNA was able to significantly discriminate NSCL subjects from normal controls. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed that many processes over-represented in CL are related to system development process, regulation of nitrogen compound metabolic process, FoxO signaling pathway and the ErbB signaling pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that plasma miR-16-2-3p, miR-365a-3p and miR-877-5p might become biomarkers to diagnose NSCL and dysregulation of these miRNAs might be involved in the progression of NSCL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Nanjing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guangzhou Road, Gulou Area, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Jijun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: State key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Plastic&Cosmetic Surgery, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 123rd Tianfei Street, Mochou Road, Nanjing 210004, China.
authors.forename: Jingyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Plastic&Cosmetic Surgery, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 123rd Tianfei Street, Mochou Road, Nanjing 210004, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Children Health Care, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, China.
authors.forename: Chenbo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing210029, China. Electronic address: qpli@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qingping
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Children Health Care, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, China. Electronic address: xrguo@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xirong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D063990:Gene Ontology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Biomarker; Nonsyndromic cleft lip; Plasma microRNA; miRNA microarray