Evaluation of MicroRNA 125b as a potential biomarker for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Purpose: To identify significant dysregulated miRNAs in postmenopausal osteoporosis in Chinese women and to test whether any of these miRNAs have diagnostic potential as circulatory biomarkers for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods: Thirty osteoporotic patients and 30 non-osteoporotic healthy individuals were recruited, and blood and bone tissue samples were collected from them. miRNA expression profiling and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to identify and substantiate dysregulated miRNAs in blood sera and bone tissue from osteoporotic patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was carried out to assess the diagnostic potential of significantly dysregulated miRNAs. Results: Based on profiling and qRT-PCR, miR-125b, miR-30 and miR-5914 were significantly upregulated in the blood sera and bone tissues of patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. In all the experiments carried out, miR-125b showed the highest levels of upregulation both in the blood sera and bone tissue compared to other upregulated miRNAs in osteoporotic patients. ROC analysis indicate that the AUC of miR-125b was the highest amongst the upregulated miRNAs. Conclusion: miR-125b is the highest significantly upregulated miRNA in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Furthermore, circulating miR-125b has the potential of a non-invasive biomarker for postmenopausal osteoporosis.