Serum Expression of miR-189 and miR-429 as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers in Children With Tic Disorders
Xiaoshuang He, Yiyan Zhang, Yukun Li, Jing Kang, Yating Yang, Qiong FangBackground
Tic disorders (TD) are common neuropsychiatric conditions in children, with a prevalence of approximately 0.3%-1.0% for Tourette’s syndrome and up to 3% for any tic disorder in school-age children. Currently, diagnosis relies on clinical observation and rating scales, lacking objective biological markers. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for neuropsychiatric conditions due to their stability in serum and tissue specificity.
Objectives
To evaluate the serum expression profiles of miR-189 and miR-429 in children with TD and to explore their potential value as diagnostic biomarkers.
Design
A cross-sectional, case-control diagnostic accuracy study.
Methods
Sixty newly diagnosed TD patients (aged 3-14 years) and 20 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled from Fujian Provincial Hospital between September 2022 and July 2023. Serum miR-189 and miR-429 levels were quantified using RT-qPCR. ROC curve and correlation analyses were performed.
Results
Serum miR-189 was significantly upregulated and miR-429 was downregulated in TD (both P < 0.001). ROC analysis showed AUC = 0.993 for miR-189 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 93.3%) and AUC = 0.977 for miR-429 (sensitivity 95.0%, specificity 95.0%). Combined detection achieved 98.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity. YGTSS scores were positively correlated with miR-189 and negatively with miR-429.
Conclusion
Serum miR-189 and miR-429 may serve as complementary biomarkers for TD diagnosis and severity assessment in children. These findings require validation in larger, multi-center cohorts.