elevated mirna expression and il-6 levels in covid-19 patients: correlations and implications for inflammatory response

Background :the role of micrornas (mirnas) in viral diseases is well established. due to the covid-19 pandemic, this study analyzed the expression levels of mir200b-3p, mir34b-5p, mir203a-3p, and let7g-5p in the blood samples of covid-19 patients, along with the expression level of interleukin-6 (il-6) as a biomarker. objectives :the purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between the expression levels of il-6 and the mentioned mirnas. methods :the study included 60 covid-19 patients confirmed by an infectious disease specialist and positive real-time pcr tests, hospitalized at razi hospital, ahvaz. the control group consisted of thirty healthy people. covid-19 disease was verified using oro-nasopharyngeal swab samples, and pbmc samples from patients were used to check the expression level of il-6. plasma samples were analyzed for the expression levels of mir200b-3p, mir34b-5p, mir203a-3p, and let7g-5p. results :all examined expression factors were markedly elevated in covid-19 patients in comparison to the control group. specifically, mir200b-3p (p < 0.00), let7g-5p (p < 0.003), and mir203a-3p (p < 0.00) exhibited significantly higher levels in the infected group. mir34b-5p (p < 0.02) also showed an increase, albeit to a lesser extent. additionally, il-6 expression was substantially higher in hospitalized patients. positive correlations, though not statistically significant, were observed between mir200b-5p, mir203a-3p, mir34b-5p, and il-6 expression. conversely, a non-significant negative correlation was noted between let7g and il-6 in covid-19 patients. conclusions :this study establishes a relationship between the elevated expression of specific mirnas (mir200b-3p, mir34b-5p, mir203a-3p, and let7g-5p) and il-6 in covid-19 patients. the significant upregulation of these mirnas, alongside increased il-6 levels, underscores their potential role as biomarkers for covid-19. these findings suggest that mirna and il-6 expression profiles could be instrumental in the diagnosis and management of covid-19, providing new avenues for therapeutic interventions and improving patient outcomes.