25(OH)D status and expression of miR-140 in the serum of patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Abstract

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is one of the most common orthopedic birth defects in newborn infants, for whom early detection and treatment are critical. MiR-140 plays an important role in bone development and was found to be regulated by vitamin D receptors in our previous study. This study aimed to investigate vitamin D status and miR-140 expression in the circulation of patients with orthopedic conditions, including DDH. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) status and miR-140 expression were determined in the serum of 120 patients with orthopedic conditions. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the potential diagnosis capability of 25(OH)D status and miR-140 expression in DDH. A DDH rat model was also used to verify miR-140 expression in vivo. We found that most patients with orthopedic conditions have vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, and patients with DDH are in the insufficiency range. MiR-140 was downregulated in the serum of patients with DDH patients and in the hip joints of rats with DDH. A panel of 25(OH)D and miR-140 showed robust performance in distinguishing DDH from controls. Our results indicate that miR-140 may play an important role in DDH, with the potential capability of being a biomarker for the diagnosis of DDH.