Identification of candidate microRNA biomarkers of endometriosis in different bodily fluids

Abstract

Abstract Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disorder affecting up to 10% of women of reproductive age, and the absence of reliable noninvasive diagnostic tools contributes to delayed diagnosis and disease progression. To identify potential biomarkers, we profiled miRNA expression in serum, saliva, and vaginal mucus from 20 women (10 with endometriosis and 10 controls) using next-generation sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, and their predicted targets underwent Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Serum proteomics by data-independent acquisition LC–MS/MS was integrated with miRNA data to construct potential miRNA–protein interaction networks. Distinct miRNA profiles were observed across the three bodily fluids, with serum showing the most abundant miRNAs and saliva the lowest. Thirteen, three, and six differentially expressed miRNAs were detected in serum, saliva, and vaginal mucus, respectively. Enrichment analysis implicated apoptosis, Wnt signaling, autophagy, and cellular senescence. Integrated analysis revealed 59 upregulated serum proteins targeted by dysregulated miRNAs, including WNK2, CD44, USP15, GNAI3, HUWE1, and NRAS. ROC analysis suggested that serum miR-200a-3p and miR-200b-3p, may have potential utility as noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of endometriosis, pending further validation.