| Objective To analyze the differentially expressed miRNAs in the peripheral blood of Mongolian patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and to explore the relationship between these miRNAs and OPLL in Mongolian individuals through bioinformatics analysis.Methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 5 Mongolian patients diagnosed with OPLL and 5 healthy Mongolian volunteers at the department of spine surgery, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital between December 2021 and December 2023. High-throughput sequencing technology was utilized to assess miRNA expression, leading to the identification of differentially expressed miRNAs. Subsequently, cluster heat maps and volcano plots were generated. Bioinformatics databases were used to predict target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs, while GO analysis and KEGG analysis were employed to forecast the biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by these target genes. The discussion then focused on the relationship between miRNA expression and signaling pathways in relation to OPLL based on the aforementioned analyses.Results A total of 51 miRNAs exhibited differential expression in peripheral blood between the OPLL group and the control group (P<0.05), with 17 miRNAs up-regulated and 34 miRNAs down-regulated. The most pronounced differential expression was observed in 10 miRNAs, including 3 up-regulated (hsa-miR-27a-5p, hsa-miR-195-3p_R-1, hsa-miR-5683_R-2) and 7 miRNAs down-regulated (hsa-miR-10527-5p, hsa-miR-548z_R-3_1ss4AG, hsa-miR-17-5p, hsa-miR-106a-5p_1ss1AC, has-miR-324-5p_R-1, has-miR-4326-R+3 and has-miR-93-5p). Through comparison with TargetScan and miRanda databases, a total of 2 451 differentially expressed target genes were identified between groups. GO analysis revealed that the target genes of differential miRNAs were implicated in a range of biological processes, including regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase Ⅱ, positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase Ⅱ, and regulation of DNA-templated transcription. Furthermore, they functioned in various cellular components such as the cytoplasm, nucleus, and cytosol, and exhibited diverse activities in molecular functions such as protein binding, metal ion binding, and transferase activity. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the target genes of differential miRNAs were significantly enriched in signaling pathways such as metabolic pathway, cancer pathway, calcium signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway.Conclusion A total of 51 miRNAs exhibited differential expression in this study, with 17 miRNAs showing up-regulation and 35 miRNAs showing down-regulation. These findings suggest that there is a distinct pattern of miRNA expression in the peripheral blood of Mongolian patients with OPLL. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the differentially expressed miRNAs primarily participate in metabolic pathways, cancer pathways, calcium signaling pathways, and Ras signaling pathways, all of which are closely linked to osteogenic differentiation. In conclusion, there exists a shared genetic relationship between Mongolian OPLL and the differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes in peripheral blood. |
