Movement disorders: Serum microRNAs predict isolated REM sleep behavior disorder and Lewy body disease

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by a lack of REM sleep-related muscle atony, uninhibited motor activity, and dream behavior

Figure 1: Paper cover image

In this study, Marta Soto et al.

Cross-sectionally, they identified novel differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs) associated with IRBD and α-synucleinopathy, which were subsequently validated using three longitudinal follow-up serum samples of DaT-negative and DaT-positive IRBD

Using genome-wide miRNA profiling and real-time quantitative PCR should be validated, they assessed serum miRNA profiles in IRBD patients stratified by dopamine transporter (DaT) single-photon emission computed tomography for DaT-negative IRBD (n = 17) and DaT-positive IRBD (n = 21), IRBD-appearance converted to LBD (n = 13), and controls (n = 20)

Longitudinal, they followed the IRBD cohort by studying serum samples at three time points over a 26-month period

Figure 2: The results of the paper

They found persistent cross-sectional and longitudinal deregulation of 12 miRNAs across the RBD continuum, including DaT-negative IRBD, DaT-positive IRBD, and LBD-phenotype-switched IRBD (let-7c-5p.

Age- and sex-adjusted predictive models based on 12 differentially expressed miRNA biosignatures differentiated IRBD and PD or DLB from controls with an area under the curve of 98% (95% confidence interval: 89–99%)

The significance of this study lies in the discovery that: In addition to clinical diagnosis of IRBD or imaging markers such as DaT single photon emission computed tomography, specific miRNA biosignatures alone hold promise as biomarkers of progression in IRBD patients to predict PD and DLB clinical results

In other high-risk PD populations, such as asymptomatic carriers of LRRK2 mutations or subjects with hypoglycemia, further miRNA studies are warranted

Original source: