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. 2024 May 9;12(5):1050.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12051050.

MicroRNA Monitoring in Human Alveolar Macrophages from Patients with Smoking-Related Lung Diseases: A Preliminary Study

Davida Mirra  1 , Renata Esposito  1 , Giuseppe Spaziano  1 , Liberata Sportiello  2   3 , Francesca Panico  4 , Antonio Squillante  5 , Maddalena Falciani  6 , Ida Cerqua  7 , Luca Gallelli  4 , Erika Cione  8 , Bruno D'Agostino  1
Affiliations

MicroRNA Monitoring in Human Alveolar Macrophages from Patients with Smoking-Related Lung Diseases: A Preliminary Study

Davida Mirra et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that is commonly considered to be a potent driver of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development and related mortality. A growing body of evidence supports a role of the immune system, mainly played by alveolar macrophages (AMs), in key axes regulating the development of COPD or NSCLC phenotypes in response to harmful agents. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that influence most biological processes and interfere with several regulatory pathways. The purpose of this study was to assess miRNA expression patterns in patients with COPD, NSCLC, and ever- or never-smoker controls to explore their involvement in smoking-related diseases. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens were collected from a prospective cohort of 43 sex-matched subjects to determine the expressions of hsa-miR-223-5p, 16-5p, 20a-5p, -17-5p, 34a-5p and 106a-5p by RT-PCR. In addition, a bioinformatic analysis of miRNA target genes linked to cancer was performed. Distinct and common miRNA expression levels were identified in each pathological group, suggesting their possible role as an index of NSCLC or COPD microenvironment. Moreover, we identified miRNA targets linked to carcinogenesis using in silico analysis. In conclusion, this study identified miRNA signatures in AMs, allowing us to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying smoking-related conditions and potentially providing new insights for diagnosis or pharmacological treatment.

Keywords: COPD; alveolar macrophages; lung cancer; microRNAs; smoking-related diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Analysis of hsa-miR-223-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. **** p < 0.0001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Analysis of hsa-miR-16-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. **** p < 0.0001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Analysis of hsa-miR-20a-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. **** p < 0.0001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Analysis of hsa-miR-17-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. * p < 0.05; **** p < 0.0001.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Analysis of hsa-miR-34a-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. ** p < 0.01; **** p < 0.0001.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Analysis of hsa-miR-106a-5p AMs expression levels in HNS (green column: biological replicates n = 9), HS (blue column: biological replicates n = 11), COPD (purple column: biological replicates n = 11) and NSCLC (red column: biological replicates n = 12). All samples were run in triplicate, and results are shown as means ± SD. The statistical tests used in these analyses were one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. ** p < 0.01; **** p < 0.0001.
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