miR-126-5p expression in the plasma of patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury and its correlation with inflammation and immune function

Abstract

Objective: This work was implemented to elucidate the miR-126-5p expression in the plasma of patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and its correlation with inflammation and immune function. Methods: The peripheral blood of patients with sepsis-induced ALI was obtained, and the levels of inflammatory factors (interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP], and procalcitonin [PCT]) were determined. Meanwhile, T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+), and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) were tested. miR-126-5p and TRAF6 mRNA expression in plasma was assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of miR-126-5p in sepsis without ALI and sepsis with ALI. Correlation between miR-126-5p expression and clinical indicators was analyzed. The targets of miR-126-5p were predicted using the bioinformatics method, and the direct targets were verified through investigations. Results: miR-126-5p expression in plasma of patients with sepsis-induced ALI was reduced than that of patients with sepsis without ALI. miR-126-5p expression was negatively correlated with IL-6, CRP, and PCT but positively correlated with IgA, IgM, and IgG as well as CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ in patients with sepsis-induced ALI. ROC curve suggested that miR-126-5p (AUC: 0.777; 95%CI: 0.689–0.866) could distinguish patients with sepsis with ALI from patients with sepsis without ALI. TRAF6 expression in patients with sepsis-induced ALI was higher than that in patients with sepsis without ALI. TRAF6 was a target gene of miR-126-5p,. Conclusion: This research highlights that miR-126-5p is reduced in the plasma of patients with sepsis-induced ALI, and miR-126-5p relates to systemic inflammation and immune function indicators.