Identification of four novel serum protein biomarkers in sepsis patients encoded by target genes of sepsis-related microRNAs

The goal of this study was to identify novel protein biomarkers from the target genes of six serum miRNAs that we identified previously in sepsis patients. The target genes were predicted by bioinformatics analysis; the levels of the respective proteins in the sera of sepsis patients were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Activin A receptor, type IIA (ACVR2A), Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), Indian hedgehog (IHH), Serine/threonine kinase 4 (STK4), and Dual specificity phosphatase 3 (DUSP3) were predicted to be the targets of the six miRNAs, and their encoded proteins were used for biomarker identification. Levels of ACVR2A (p < 0.01) and FOXO1 (p < 0.01) were significantly different among normal controls, sepsis patients, severe sepsis patients, and septic shock patients. Furthermore, levels of ACVR2A (p = 0.025), FOXO1 (p < 0.001), IHH (p = 0.001), and STK4 (p = 0.001) were differentially expressed in survivors and non-survivors. DUSP3 levels were not significantly different between any groups. Conjoin analysis of the four differentially expressed proteins showed that the area under the curve of the predictive probabilities was 0.875 (95% CI, 0.785–0.965), which was higher than the SOFA and APACHE II scores. When the value of predictive probabilities was 0.449, the four proteins yielded a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 91%. Dynamic changes in ACVR2A, FOXO1, and IHH levels showed differential expression between survivors and non-survivo...
Source: Clinical Science - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research