miRNAs in the vitreous humor of patients affected by idiopathic epiretinal membrane and macular hole.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess the expression of miRNAs in the Vitreous Humor (VH) of patients with Macular Hole (MH) and Epiretinal Membrane (ERM) compared to a control group.


METHODS
In this prospective, comparative study, 2-ml of VH was extracted from the core of the vitreous chamber in consecutive patients who underwent standard vitrectomy for ERM and MH. RNA was extracted and TaqMan® Low Density Arrays (TLDAs) were used to profile the transcriptome of 754 miRNAs. Results were validated by single TaqMan® assays. Finally, we created a biological network of differentially expressed miRNA targets and their nearest neighbors.


RESULTS
Overall 10 eyes with MH, 16 eyes with idiopathic ERM and 6 controls were enrolled in the study. Profiling data identified 5 miRNAs differentially expressed in patients affected by MH and ERM with respect to controls. Four were downregulated (miR-19b, miR-24, miR-155, miR-451) and 1 was downregulated (miR-29a); TaqMan® assays of the VH of patients affected by MH and ERM, with respect to controls, showed that the most differentially expressed were miR-19b (FC -9.13, p:<0.00004), mir-24 (FC -7.52, p:<0.004) and miR-142-3p (FC -5.32, p:<0.011). Our network data showed that deregulation of differentially expressed miRNAs induces an alteration of several pathways associated with genes involved in both MH and ERM.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that disregulation of miR-19b, miR-24 and miR-142-3p, might be related to the alterations that characterize patients affected by MH and ERM.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Andrea
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7725-5971
A
Russo
Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Marco
M
Ragusa
Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Cristina
C
Barbagallo
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Antonio
A
Longo
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Teresio
T
Avitabile
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Maurizio G
MG
Uva
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Vincenza
V
Bonfiglio
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Mario D
MD
Toro
Department Gian Filippo Ingrassia, Unità di Anatomia Patologica, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Rosario
R
Caltabiano
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy.
Cesare
C
Mariotti
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Francesco
F
Boscia
Department of Ophthalmology, Second University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy.
Mario
M
Romano
Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Cinzia
C
Di Pietro
Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Davide
D
Barbagallo
Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Michele
M
Purrello
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Michele
M
Reibaldi
D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery
D035683:MicroRNAs