Egr-miR-71 and egr-let-7 expression of metacestode larval stage (Echinococcus granulosus) in patients with hydatidosis

Abstract

The current study aimed at evaluating the capacity of parasitic miRNAs to serve as plasma biomarkers for hydatid cysts before and after CE surgery. Methods: Following RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the expression levels of parasite-derived miRNAs including egr-miR-71 and egr-let-7 were quantitatively evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 30 hydatid cyst-infected individuals before surgery and an equal number of healthy controls. Then, three and six-month follow-ups were performed after cystectomy. To analyze parasite-derived miRNAs, the relative fold change between uninfected and infected samples was determined and normalized to hsa-miR-16-5p as the housekeeping internal control. Results: RT-PCR demonstrated that egr-miR-71 and egr-let-7 were specifically amplified in all the plasma samples from the infected individuals with hydatid cyst; yet they were significantly down-regulated at three and six month's post-surgery (P<0.05). The egr-miR-71 had a higher level of expression in larval stage compared with egr-let-7.