Do miR-146a plasma levels alter in Alzheimer’s patients and impact their cognitive functions?

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: The miR-146a is a short non-coding RNA molecule that has both therapeutic and biomarker potential. Abnormal miR-146a expression has been linked to several disorders. The target of the study is to investigate the possible link between miRNA-146a expression and the deterioration of cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients.   Materials and Methods: The research comprised 40 individuals from Iraq, spanning both genders and ranging in age from 60 to 85 years. They were segregated into two distinct groups. The first group included 40 subjects (age of 75±6.6 years) who displayed no signs of cognitive or functional impairment. The second group consisted of 40 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (with an average age of 74.98±5.03 years), as per the DSM-5 criteria. To assess the mir-146 gene expression, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was employed.   Results: The median expression of miR-146a in Alzheimer's disease was 0.97-fold greater than in control, with no statistically significant difference. There were no significant differences in the means between Alzheimer's females and Alzheimer's males. Female control subjects had considerably higher mean ADAS-cog scores than male control subjects. In Alzheimer's disease patients, age was observed to be strongly associated with ADAS-Cog scores, showing that age plays a role in disease development.   Conclusion: Serum miR-146a is not related to the development of Alzheimer disease and does not affect disease progression