Screening for blood leukocyte microRNA biomarkers responsible for association between qi deficiency constitution and Pi-qi-deficiency syndrome of chronic superficial gastritis

Abstract

Abstract Objective To screen for blood leukocyte microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers responsible for the association between the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) qi deficiency constitution (QDC) and the Pi-qi-deficiency syndrome (PQDS) of chronic superficial gastritis (CSG). Methods Peripheral blood leukocytes were separated from people of two TCM constitutions (balance and qi deficiency) and from CSG patients with PQDS. Total RNA was isolated from the leukocytes and subjected to subsequent high-throughput miRNA sequencing to identify the miRNAs that are specifically and highly expressed in persons of QDC and CSG patients with PQDS. In addition, the target genes of the associated miRNAs were predicted. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway-based enrichment analyses of these target genes were performed to further evaluate the associated miRNA candidates as potential biomarkers responsible for the association between QDC and PQDS of CSG. Results Compared with the control group with a balance constitution (P 1.5 or Conclusion Hsa-miR-145-5p and hsa-miR-146a-3p may serve as candidate biomarkers responsible for the association between QDC and PQDS of CSG.