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Age- and sex-dependent changes in levels of circulating brain-enriched microRNAs during normal aging.

Author(s): Sheinerman K, Tsivinsky V, Mathur A, Kessler D, Shaz B, Umansky S

Publication: Aging (Albany NY), 2018, Vol. 10, Page 3017-3041

PubMed ID: 30383539 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   This study investigated the effects of patient age and gender on the levels of 38 brain-enriched miRNAs in plasma. For the initial study, K₂EDTA blood was obtained from a total of 40 patients without neurodegenerative or neurological conditions (10 patients of each gender aged 26-35 years or 56-65 years). For the follow up study, K₂EDTA blood was obtained from a total of 100 patients without neurodegenerative or neurological conditions (10 patients of each gender in each of the following age groups: 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, and 66-75 years). Plasma was obtained by centrifugation at 2000 x g (unspecified duration), aliquoted, and frozen at -80°C within 2 h of blood collection. RNA was extracted from plasma using Trizol and Ambion glass fiber microcolumns. RNA was subjected to RT-PCR using individual miRNA-specific TaqMan reverse-transcription kits.

   Summary of Findings:

   Of the 38 brain-enriched miRNAs investigated, five were below the limit of detection and were excluded from further analysis. An additional three miRNAs were found to have CT values >36 in many of the samples but were still included in the analysis. A total of 13 miRNA pairs and one pair group were found to discriminate plasma from patients that were old (56-65 years) from those who were young (36-45, P≤0.001). When the data was broken down by patient gender, a similar number of miRNA pairs were found to discriminate between plasma from the young and old but the lists had little overlap. Based on these lists, 19 miRNAs were chosen for further analysis using more age groups. Interestingly, age-related changes in individual miRNAs differed in the plasma of males and females, with many miRNAs peaking in females aged 46-55 years and in males between 56 and 65 years and no single miRNA could be used as an age biomarker. Further, no pair of miRNAs was found to correlate with patients age over the span investigated. When broken down by patient age and gender, correlations of some miRNAs with age were observed but these were gender-specific.

   Biospecimens

   • Bodily Fluid - Blood
   • Bodily Fluid - Plasma

   Preservative Types

   • Frozen

   Diagnoses:

   • Not specified

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   RNA	Real-time qRT-PCR

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Preaquisition	Patient age	26-35 years 36-45 years 46-55 years 56-65 years 66-75 years
   Preaquisition	Patient gender	Female Male

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