miRNA biomarkers for prognosis and therapy monitoring in a multi-ethnic cohort with SARS-CoV-2 infection

miRNA biomarkers for prognosis and therapy monitoring in a multi-ethnic cohort with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Abstract This study aimed to identify miRNA-based biomarkers in a multi-ethnic cohort of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals to enhance preparedness for future variants of concern. A total of 31 healthy controls and 154 infected patients were enrolled, from which 13 matched controls and 38 infected nasa...

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Main Authors: Farah Mustafa, Waqar Ahmad, Bushra Gull, Jasmin Baby, Neena G. Panicker, Thanumol Abdul Khader, Hala Abdul Baki, Erum Rehman, Asif M. Salim, Rubina L. G. Ahmed, Hamda H. Khansaheb, Maya Habous, Laila M. J. A. AlDabal, Soumeya Jaballah, Saif S. Alqassim, Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Tahir A. Rizvi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
MiRNAs
Biomarkers
Nasopharyngeal swabs
MiRNAseq
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15248-6
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Summary:Abstract This study aimed to identify miRNA-based biomarkers in a multi-ethnic cohort of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals to enhance preparedness for future variants of concern. A total of 31 healthy controls and 154 infected patients were enrolled, from which 13 matched controls and 38 infected nasal swab samples were analyzed using miRNA sequencing, followed by qRT-PCR validation. Among the 1788 miRNAs detected, 14 differentially expressed miRNAs and four novel miRNAs were identified, with novel-miR-264-5p showing a ≥ 2-fold change. Correlation with clinical markers highlighted several miRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers. Seven miRNAs, including miR-146b-3p, miR-154-5p, miR-5010-3p, miR-127-3p, miR-335-3p, miR-30c-5p, and miR-202-5p, showed strong prognostic potential. Combined ROC analysis demonstrated that a panel of top-performing miRNAs significantly enhanced diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.939–0.972; p < 0.0001). Moreover, integrating miRNA biomarkers with clinical parameters further improved performance (AUC = 0.982; p < 0.0001). miR-146b-3p, detected exclusively in infected patients, emerged as a highly specific biomarker. Several nasal miRNAs mirrored blood profiles, highlighting the utility of nasal swabs for non-invasive monitoring. Collectively, these findings suggest that miRNA-based biomarkers, alone or combined with clinical markers, offer a promising platform for COVID-19 prognosis and diagnosis, and lay groundwork for future miRNA-based antiviral strategies.
ISSN:2045-2322

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