MicroRNAs regulating mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis and transforming growth factor β signaling pathways in nasal mucosa of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in Northern China.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a persistent sinonasal mucosa inflammatory disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP in Northern China remain unknown.

Methods: A miRCURY™ LNA Array was used to analyze miRNA profiles in nasal mucosa tissues of CRSwNP patients (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 10). Subsequent pathways were predicted by DIANA-mirPath software.

Results: Five upregulated miRNAs, including miR-210-5p, miR-3178, miR-585-3p, miR-3146, and miR-320e, and 19 downregulated miRNAs, including miR-32-3p, miR-1299, miR-3196, miR-3924, and miR-548e-3p, were differentially expressed (p < 0.05, fold change >2) in tissues of CRSwNP vs controls. Utilizing the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG), which is an online database for pathway mapping, mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis pathway was significantly enriched in upregulated miRNAs. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway were significantly linked to downregulated miRNAs.

Conclusion: The mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis pathway and TGF-β signaling pathway are regulated by miRNAs, which could be our focus in the future studies.