To identify microRNA profiles associated with asthma–obesity comorbidity in children, thereby enhancing understanding of the underlying molecular pathways that may inform treatment strategies.
Key Findings:
Five miRNAs (miR-423-3p, -92a-3p, -4536-5p, -197-3p, -891a-5p) were consistently upregulated in asthma and obesity cohorts, indicating a potential link to disease severity.
Two miRNAs (miR-144-3p, -641) were downregulated in asthma-only, obesity-only, and asthma-obesity comorbidity groups, suggesting a common regulatory mechanism.
miRNAs associated with OO-A were linked to IL-4, IL-13, and PIP3/AKT signaling pathways, indicating roles in inflammation and metabolism.
Altered miRNA expression correlated with increased neutrophil counts, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduced lung function in OO-A, highlighting the clinical relevance of these findings.
Interpretation:
The identified miRNA profiles suggest potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for managing asthma in pediatric patients with obesity, underscoring the need for further validation to confirm their clinical utility.
Limitations:
Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, making it difficult to establish direct relationships.
Small sample size may affect the generalizability of findings, necessitating caution in interpretation.
Further longitudinal studies are needed to validate miRNA as biomarkers and to explore their role in disease progression.
Conclusion:
This study uncovers a common circulating miRNA profile linked to asthma–obesity comorbidity, which may inform future therapeutic strategies.
