Estimated level of plasma micro RNA-210 in beta thalassemia patients and its relation to hemoglobin F level and disease severity

BACKGROUND: Beta-thalassemia is an autosomal recessive hereditary blood disorder occurs due to absent or diminished β-globin chains synthesis. The transformation from fetal to adult in globin synthesis is controlled by different mechanisms; one of those is BCL11A which is downregulated by microRNA-210 (miRNA-210). Therefore, this would lead to reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production that improves anemia and reduces the needs for transfusion.OBJECTIVE: To study miRNA-210 in the plasma of beta thalassemia patients and its relation to HbF level and disease severity.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 50 individuals divided into three groups. Group A included 30 thalassemia major patients, Group B included 10 thalassemia intermedia patients, and Group C is 10 healthy volunteers as control. All individuals underwent to history taking, physical examination, and laboratory investigations, complete blood count, serum ferritin, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and measurement of miRNA-210 expression levels in plasma of peripheral blood samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: Examination of miRNA-210 plasma level among different groups revealed no statistically significant association between control and thalassemia group or its subgroups (Major and intermedia) (P = 0.224, P = 0.116, and P = 0.734, respectively). Moreover, miRNA-210 was slightly higher in responders than nonresponders to hydroxyurea but did not reach significant level.CONCLUSION: miRNA-210 levels were not associated with increase in HbF levels in thalassemia patients.