Serum miRNA profiling identifies miR-150/30a as potential biomarker for workers with damaged nerve fibers from carbon disulfide

As crucial small regulatory molecules, serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely identified as potential noninvasive biomarkers. To survey and identify serum miRNAs associated with workers who had experienced injury to their nerve system from carbon disulfide (CS2), we profiled abnormally expressed miRNAs using the microarray technique and further performed qRT-PCR validation in case and control samples (n=20). Microarray profiling in pooled RNA samples showed that many miRNAs in workers exposed to CS2 were aberrantly expressed. Based on control samples exposed to CS2, a great amount of abnormal miRNAs, including some miRNA gene clusters and families, were obtained from microarray datasets. Most of deregulated miRNAs were up-regulated, and almost all miRNAs showed consistent expression patterns between workers with different numbers of damaged nerve fibers. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that these abnormal miRNAs showed versatile roles by contributing to multiple biological processes. Some aberrantly expressed miRNAs were characterized as miRNA gene clusters or families, and they always showed consistent expression patterns. miR-150 and miR-30a were selected to be further validated by qRT-PCR as up-regulated species, and they could discern case samples from control samples. miR-150 and miR-30a may be potential noninvasive biomarkers for a damaged nervous system.