Papel de los micro-ARNs en enfermedades del metabolismo óseo

Abstract

The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis is increasing in parallel with the increased life expectancy. They are determined by the interplay of environmental and genetic factors. The aim of this study was to determine how epigenetic mechanisms are involved in these diseases, and specifically the analysis of expression of microRNAs. We measured microRNAs in bone samples of patients with osteoporosis (n=8) and osteoarthritis (n=8), using mini-arrays. Significant between group differences were found in 9 of the microRNAs analyzed. These findings were replicated in a second analysis that included bone samples from subjects with osteoporosis (n=19), osteoarthritis (n=19) and controls (n=6). In the replication stage we analyzed the expression of the microRNAs showing the most significant differences in arrays: miR-187, miR-193a-3p, miR-210, miR-214 and miR-518f. We found that miR-518f displayed a significantly higher expression in patients with osteoporosis. On the other hand, miR-187 displayed a signifciantly higher expression in patients with osteoarthritis. Although we could not confirm the functional effects of these microARNs in vitro, our data suggest that miR-518f and miR-187 may participate in the pathogenesis of skeletal disorders, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.