Expression and clinical significance of microRNA-451 in children with microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia

Objective To analyze the expression of microRNA-451 (miR-451) in children with microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia, and to explore the correlation between miR-451 and erythrocyte-related parameters and its diagnostic value for anemia in children.

Methods The expression levels of miR-451 in serum were detected in children with microcytic anemia (n=80), chronic infectious anemia (n=80), and healthy controls (n=80) using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between serum miR-451 and erythrocyte-related parametersred blood cell distribution width (RDW), red blood cells (RBC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV)was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to analyze the diagnostic value of miR-451 for microcytic anemia, chronic infectious anemia, and the severity of anemia. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the occurrence of microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia in children.

Results The expression levels of serum miR-451 in the microcytic anemia group and chronic infectious anemia group were lower than those in the healthy control group(P < 0.05). The miR-451 was negatively correlated with RDW (r=-0.388, P < 0.05), and positively correlated with Hb, RBC, MCHC, MCH, and MCV (r=0.402, 0.393, 0.391, 0.360, 0.323, P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve of serum miR-451 for diagnosing microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia was 0.718 and 0.735, respectively, which was higher than that of erythrocyte-related parameters such as RDW, Hb, RBC, MCHC, MCH, and MCV (P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index, RDW, Hb, RBC, MCHC, MCH, MCV, and miR-451 were influencing factors for the occurrence of microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia in children (P < 0.05). With the aggravation of anemia in children, the expression level of serum miR-451 gradually decreased (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the level of serum miR-451 had a high diagnostic value for the severity of anemia in children.

Conclusion The expression of miR-451 is reduced in serum of children with microcytic anemia and chronic infectious anemia, and its expression level is correlated with erythrocyte-related parameter levels. Serum miR-451 has a high diagnostic value for microcytic anemia, chronic infectious anemia, and the severity of anemia.