An Exploration of Molecular Correlates Relevant to Radiation Combined Skin-Burn Trauma

BACKGROUND Exposure to high dose radiation in combination with physical injuries such as burn or wound trauma can produce a more harmful set of medical complications requiring specialist interventions. Currently these interventions are unavailable as are the precise biomarkers needed to help both accurately assess and treat such conditions. In the present study, we tried to identify and explore the possible role of serum exosome microRNA (miRNA) signatures as potential biomarkers for radiation combined burn injury (RCBI). METHODOLOGY Female B6D2F1/J mice were assigned to four experimental groups (n = 6): sham control (SHAM), burn injury (BURN), radiation injury (RI) and combined radiation skin burn injury (CI). We performed serum multiplex cytokine analysis and serum exosome miRNA expression profiling to determine novel miRNA signatures and important biological pathways associated with radiation combined skin-burn trauma. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Serum cytokines, IL-5 and MCP-1, were significantly induced only in CI mice (p<0.05). From 890 differentially expressed miRNAs identified, microarray analysis showed 47 distinct miRNA seed sequences significantly associated with CI mice compared to SHAM control mice (fold change ≥ 1.2, p<0.05). Furthermore, only two major miRNA seed sequences (miR-690 and miR-223) were validated to be differentially expressed for CI mice specifically (fold change ≥ 1.5, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Serum exosome miRNA signature data of adult mice, following RCBI, provides new insights into the molecular and biochemical pathways associated with radiation combined skin-burn trauma in vivo.