Diagnostic and prognostic potential of eight whole blood microRNAs for equine sarcoid disease.
Abstract: MicroRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoids, the most prevalent equine skin tumors globally. This study served to validate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of whole blood microRNAs identified in a previous study for long-term equine sarcoid diagnosis and outcome prediction. Based on findings of a clinical examination at the age of 3 years and a follow-up following a further 5-12 years, 32 Franches-Montagnes and 45 Swiss Warmblood horses were assigned to four groups: horses with regression (n = 19), progression (n = 9), new occurrences of sarcoid lesions (n = 19) and tumor-free control horses (n = 30). The expression levels for eight microRNAs (eca-miR-127, eca-miR-432, eca-miR-24, eca-miR-125a-5p, eca-miR-134, eca-miR-379, eca-miR-381, eca-miR-382) were analyzed through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction in whole blood samples collected on initial examination. Associations of sex, breed, diagnosis, and prognosis with microRNA expression levels were examined using multivariable analysis of variance. Sex and breed influenced the expression level of five and two microRNAs, respectively. Eca-miR-127 allowed discrimination between sarcoid-affected and tumor-free horses. No variation in microRNA expression was found when comparing horses with sarcoid regression and progression. Expression levels of eca-miR-125a-5p and eca-miR-432 varied in male horses that developed sarcoids throughout the study period in comparison to male control horses. While none of the investigated miRNAs was validated for predicting the prognosis of sarcoid regression / progression within young horses with this condition, two miRNAs demonstrated potential to predict if young male (though not female) tumor-free horse can develop sarcoids within the following years. Sex- and breed- biased miRNAs exist within the equine species and have an impact on biomarker discovery.
Publication Date: 2021-12-23 PubMed ID: 34941894PubMed Central: PMC8699634DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261076Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This study examines the potential of eight specific microRNAs in the blood as diagnostic and predictive tools for equine sarcoid disease, a common skin cancer in horses. However, none of these microRNAs could definitively predict disease progression, though two showed promise in predicting sarcoid development in young, healthy male horses.
Study Methodology and Grouping
- The researchers conducted a clinical examination on 77 horses, involving 32 Franches-Montagnes and 45 Swiss Warmblood horses, when they turned 3-years-old and again after a 5-12 year period.
- Based on their findings, the researchers divided these horses into four groups: those whose sarcoids had regressed (n = 19), those whose sarcoids had progressed (n = 9), those that developed new sarcoid lesions (n = 19), and control horses that were tumor-free (n = 30).
MicroRNAs Examination and Analysis
- The team examined the expression levels for eight specific microRNAs through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the whole blood samples collected during the initial examination.
- The associations of sex, breed, diagnosis, and prognosis, with microRNA expression levels were examined using a multivariable analysis of variance technique.
- The results indicated that the expression level of five microRNAs was influenced by sex, and two were influenced by breed.
Key Findings and Conclusions
- The research found that eca-miR-127 could help to discriminate between sarcoid-affected and tumor-free horses. However, no variation in microRNA expression was found when comparing horses with sarcoid regression and progression, suggesting these microRNAs cannot predict disease progression.
- There were variations in the expression levels of eca-miR-125a-5p and eca-miR-432 in male horses that developed sarcoids throughout the study period compared to the male control horses, indicating these microRNAs might be useful in predicting sarcoid development in young, healthy male horses.
- However, these microRNAs did not show the same predictive capability in female horses, highlighting that further studies are needed to identify predictive markers in female horses.
- The existence of sex- and breed-biased microRNAs within the equine species could potentially impact biomarker discovery for equine sarcoid disease in future research.
Cite This Article
APA
Cosandey J, Hamza E, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Blaszczyk K, Unger L.
(2021).
Diagnostic and prognostic potential of eight whole blood microRNAs for equine sarcoid disease.
PLoS One, 16(12), e0261076.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261076 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
- Circulating MicroRNA / blood
- Circulating MicroRNA / genetics
- Female
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horses
- Male
- Prognosis
- ROC Curve
- Skin Neoplasms / blood
- Skin Neoplasms / diagnosis
- Skin Neoplasms / veterinary
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exists.
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Drozdzewska K, Gehlen H. Markers for internal neoplasia in the horse.. Vet Med Sci 2023 Jan;9(1):132-143.
- Hamza E, Cosandey J, Gerber V, Koch C, Unger L. The potential of three whole blood microRNAs to predict outcome and monitor treatment response in sarcoid-bearing equids.. Vet Res Commun 2023 Jan;47(1):87-98.
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