Differences in Serum miRNAs in Women Exposed to Biomass Smoke and Smokers with and without Severe to very Severe COPD

Abstract

Background: Exposure to biomass smoke (BS) and smoking (TS) associated with the genetic environment are the main causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the control of posttranscriptional regulation. The miRNAs involved in COPD-TS are well defined; however, those implicated in COPD-BS have not been identified. Objective: It was analyzed which miRNAs participate in women exposed to biomass (COPD-BS) and smokers (COPD-TS), in a severe to very severe COPD (GOLD III-IV), comparing with women exposed to BS without COPD (H-BS), smokers without COPD (H-TS), and healthy control (C). Material and Methods: Clinical and physiological characteristics were analyzed. The serum miRNA expression profiles were analyzed using PCR arrays (n=3), followed by RT-qPCR (n=25). Results: Women with COPD-BS were older, shorter, and weighed less related to the other groups. Four miRNAs were deregulated, miR-10a-5p that was overexpressed in COPD-TS versus H-TS; while three were underexpressed: miR-15b-5p comparing H-TS with C, miR-30d-5p in COPD-TS versus C, and miR-200c-5p in COPD-BS related to H-TS. Conclusion: Our results suggest that women with COPD-SB have different serum expression of miRNA compared to those with COPD-TS; miR-200c could be relevant in the pathophysiology of COPD-SB, while miR-10a-5p, miR-15b-5p and miR-30d-5p in COPD-TS.