Association of exosomal miR-96-5p and miR-146a-5p with the disease severity in dengue virus infection

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles secreted by cells and have a major role in cell-to-cell signaling. As dengue infection progresses from a mild to a severe form of infection, the exosome's microRNA (miRNA) composition might change, which may contribute to pathogenesis. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of serum exosomal miRNAs was performed and their involvement in dengue virus-induced disease progression in an Indian cohort was assessed. Small RNA-seq showed 50 differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs that were significantly dysregulated during dengue infection. After extensive validation, miR-96-5p was found to be significantly upregulated, whereas miR-146a-5p was significantly downregulated with the progression of disease to severe form. Interestingly, a strong positive correlation was found between the expression levels of miR-96-5p and miR-146a-5p and the platelet levels of the patients. Further, study of miR-146a-5p showed that it regulates the expression of the proteins which are involved in the immune responses. These results suggest that miR-96-5p and miR-146a-5p could be used as diagnostic and prognostic markers for dengue disease progression, in addition to the already available biochemical and pathological parameters.

Automated summary

In this study, the role of exosomal miRNAs in dengue virus-induced disease progression was analyzed in an Indian cohort. After comprehensive analysis, miR-96-5p was found to be upregulated while miR-146a-5p was downregulated with the progression of disease to severe form. The expression levels of miR-96-5p and miR-146a-5p were strongly correlated with platelet levels. Additionally, miR-146a-5p was found to regulate the expression of proteins involved in immune responses.