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Magri K, Eftedal I, Petroni Magri V, Matity L, Azzopardi CP, Muscat S, Pace NP. Acute Effects on the Human Peripheral Blood Transcriptome of Decompression Sickness Secondary to Scuba Diving. Front Physiol 2021; 12:660402. [PMID: 34177613 PMCID: PMC8222921 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.660402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Decompression sickness (DCS) develops due to inert gas bubble formation in bodily tissues and in the circulation, leading to a wide range of potentially serious clinical manifestations. Its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. In this study, we aim to explore changes in the human leukocyte transcriptome in divers with DCS compared to closely matched unaffected controls after uneventful diving. Cases (n = 7) were divers developing the typical cutis marmorata rash after diving with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of DCS. Controls (n = 6) were healthy divers who surfaced from a ≥25 msw dive without decompression violation or evidence of DCS. Blood was sampled at two separate time points-within 8 h of dive completion and 40-44 h later. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-Sequencing followed by bioinformatic analysis was carried out to identify differentially expressed genes and relate their function to biological pathways. In DCS cases, we identified enrichment of transcripts involved in acute inflammation, activation of innate immunity and free radical scavenging pathways, with specific upregulation of transcripts related to neutrophil function and degranulation. DCS-induced transcriptomic events were reversed at the second time point following exposure to hyperbaric oxygen. The observed changes are consistent with findings from animal models of DCS and highlight a continuum between the responses elicited by uneventful diving and diving complicated by DCS. This study sheds light on the inflammatory pathophysiology of DCS and the associated immune response. Such data may potentially be valuable in the search for novel treatments targeting this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Magri
- Hyperbaric Unit, Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
| | - Ingrid Eftedal
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| | - Vanessa Petroni Magri
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Lyubisa Matity
- Hyperbaric Unit, Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
| | | | - Stephen Muscat
- Hyperbaric Unit, Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
| | - Nikolai Paul Pace
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
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Downregulation of peripheral PTGS2/COX-2 in response to valproate treatment in patients with epilepsy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2546. [PMID: 32054883 PMCID: PMC7018850 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiepileptic drug therapy has significant inter-patient variability in response towards it. The current study aims to understand this variability at the molecular level using microarray-based analysis of peripheral blood gene expression profiles of patients receiving valproate (VA) monotherapy. Only 10 unique genes were found to be differentially expressed in VA responders (n = 15) and 6 genes in the non-responders (n = 8) (fold-change >2, p < 0.05). PTGS2 which encodes cyclooxygenase-2, COX-2, showed downregulation in the responders compared to the non-responders. PTGS2/COX-2 mRNA profiles in the two groups corresponded to their plasma profiles of the COX-2 product, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Since COX-2 is believed to regulate P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a multidrug efflux transporter over-expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in drug-resistant epilepsy, the pathway connecting COX-2 and P-gp was further explored in vitro. Investigation of the effect of VA upon the brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) in hyperexcitatory conditions confirmed suppression of COX-2-dependent P-gp upregulation by VA. Our findings suggest that COX-2 downregulation by VA may suppress seizure-mediated P-gp upregulation at the BBB leading to enhanced drug delivery to the brain in the responders. Our work provides insight into the association of peripheral PTGS2/COX-2 expression with VA efficacy and the role of COX-2 as a potential therapeutic target for developing efficacious antiepileptic treatment.
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Rawat C, Kushwaha S, Srivastava AK, Kukreti R. Peripheral blood gene expression signatures associated with epilepsy and its etiologic classification. Genomics 2020; 112:218-224. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Tang R, Yang H, Choi JR, Gong Y, You M, Wen T, Li A, Li X, Xu B, Zhang S, Mei Q, Xu F. Capillary blood for point-of-care testing. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2017; 54:294-308. [PMID: 28763247 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2017.1343796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Clinically, blood sample analysis has been widely used for health monitoring. In hospitals, arterial and venous blood are utilized to detect various disease biomarkers. However, collection methods are invasive, painful, may result in injury and contamination, and skilled workers are required, making these methods unsuitable for use in a resource-limited setting. In contrast, capillary blood is easily collected by a minimally invasive procedure and has excellent potential for use in point-of-care (POC) health monitoring. In this review, we first discuss the differences among arterial blood, venous blood, and capillary blood in terms of the puncture sites, components, sample volume, collection methods, and application areas. Additionally, we review the most recent advances in capillary blood-based commercial products and microfluidic instruments for various applications. We also compare the accuracy of microfluidic-based testing with that of laboratory-based testing for capillary blood-based disease diagnosis at the POC. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future perspectives for developing capillary blood-based POC instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihua Tang
- a School of Life Sciences , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,b Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,c Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC) , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,d College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering , Shaanxi University of Science and Technology , Xi'an , China
| | - Hui Yang
- a School of Life Sciences , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,b Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Jane Ru Choi
- c Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC) , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Yan Gong
- c Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC) , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,e The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,f Xi'an Diandi Biotech Company , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - MinLi You
- c Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC) , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,e The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Ting Wen
- f Xi'an Diandi Biotech Company , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Ang Li
- g Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - XiuJun Li
- h Department of Chemistry , University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso , TX , USA
| | - Bo Xu
- i School of Finance and Economics , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Sufeng Zhang
- d College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering , Shaanxi University of Science and Technology , Xi'an , China
| | - Qibing Mei
- a School of Life Sciences , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,b Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology , Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi'an , P.R. China
| | - Feng Xu
- c Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC) , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China.,e The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology , Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , P.R. China
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Gene expression analysis in untreated absence epilepsy demonstrates an inconsistent pattern. Epilepsy Res 2017; 132:84-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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6
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Identifying a gene expression signature of cluster headache in blood. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40218. [PMID: 28074859 PMCID: PMC5225606 DOI: 10.1038/srep40218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cluster headache is a relatively rare headache disorder, typically characterized by multiple daily, short-lasting attacks of excruciating, unilateral (peri-)orbital or temporal pain associated with autonomic symptoms and restlessness. To better understand the pathophysiology of cluster headache, we used RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes and pathways in whole blood of patients with episodic (n = 19) or chronic (n = 20) cluster headache in comparison with headache-free controls (n = 20). Gene expression data were analysed by gene and by module of co-expressed genes with particular attention to previously implicated disease pathways including hypocretin dysregulation. Only moderate gene expression differences were identified and no associations were found with previously reported pathogenic mechanisms. At the level of functional gene sets, associations were observed for genes involved in several brain-related mechanisms such as GABA receptor function and voltage-gated channels. In addition, genes and modules of co-expressed genes showed a role for intracellular signalling cascades, mitochondria and inflammation. Although larger study samples may be required to identify the full range of involved pathways, these results indicate a role for mitochondria, intracellular signalling and inflammation in cluster headache.
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Walker SJ, Beavers DP, Fortunato J, Krigsman A. A Putative Blood-Based Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Ileocolitis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35820. [PMID: 27767057 PMCID: PMC5073317 DOI: 10.1038/srep35820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A significant proportion of children with ASD and gastrointestinal symptoms have histologic evidence of ileocolitis (inflammation of the terminal ileum and/or colon). We previously reported the molecular characterization of gastrointestinal biopsy tissue from ASD children with ileocolitis (ASDIC+) compared to anatomically similar inflamed tissue from typically developing children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; i.e. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) and typically developing children with gastrointestinal symptoms but no evidence of gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation (TDIC−). ASDIC+ children had a gene expression profile that, while primarily overlapping with known IBD, had distinctive differences. The present study confirms these findings and replicates this molecular characterization in a second cohort of cases (ASDIC+) and controls (TDIC−). In these two separate case/control mucosal-based cohorts, we have demonstrated overlap of 59 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) unique to inflamed ileocolonic tissue from symptomatic ASDIC+ children. We now report that 9 of these 59 transcripts are also differentially expressed in the peripheral blood of the second cohort of ASDIC+ children. This set of transcripts represents a putative blood-based biomarker for ASD-associated ileocolonic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Walker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Daniel P Beavers
- Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - John Fortunato
- Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Ann &Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Arthur Krigsman
- Pediatric Gastroenterology Resources, 148 Beach 9th Street, Suite 2B, Far Rockaway, NY, USA
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Kilian Y, Wehmeier UF, Wahl P, Mester J, Hilberg T, Sperlich B. Acute Response of Circulating Vascular Regulating MicroRNAs during and after High-Intensity and High-Volume Cycling in Children. Front Physiol 2016; 7:92. [PMID: 27014090 PMCID: PMC4789462 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyze the response of vascular circulating microRNAs (miRNAs; miR-16, miR-21, miR-126) and the VEGF mRNA following an acute bout of HIIT and HVT in children. Methods:Twelve healthy competitive young male cyclists (14.4 ± 0.8 years; 57.9 ± 9.4 ml·min−1·kg−1 peak oxygen uptake) performed one session of high intensity 4 × 4 min intervals (HIIT) at 90–95% peak power output (PPO), each interval separated by 3 min of active recovery, and one high volume session (HVT) consisting of a constant load exercise for 90 min at 60% PPO. Capillary blood from the earlobe was collected under resting conditions, during exercise (d1 = 20 min, d2 = 30 min, d3 = 60 min), and 0, 30, 60, 180 min after the exercise to determine miR-16, -21, -126, and VEGF mRNA. Results: HVT significantly increased miR-16 and miR-126 during and after the exercise compared to pre-values, whereas HIIT showed no significant influence on the miRNAs compared to pre-values. VEGF mRNA significantly increased during and after HIIT (d1, 30′, 60′, 180′) and HVT (d3, 0′, 60′). Conclusion: Results of the present investigation suggest a volume dependent exercise regulation of vascular regulating miRNAs (miR-16, miR-21, miR-126) in children. In line with previous data, our data show that acute exercise can alter circulating miRNAs profiles that might be used as novel biomarkers to monitor acute and chronic changes due to exercise in various tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Kilian
- Institute of Training Science and Sport Informatics, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany; The German Research Centre of Elite Sport, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany
| | - Udo F Wehmeier
- Department of Sports Medicine, University Wuppertal Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Patrick Wahl
- Institute of Training Science and Sport Informatics, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany; The German Research Centre of Elite Sport, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany; Departement of Molecular and Cellular Sport Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sport Medicine, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany
| | - Joachim Mester
- Institute of Training Science and Sport Informatics, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany; The German Research Centre of Elite Sport, German Sport University CologneCologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Hilberg
- Department of Sports Medicine, University Wuppertal Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Billy Sperlich
- Department of Sports Medicine, University Wuppertal Wuppertal, Germany
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Hunsberger JG, Chibane FL, Elkahloun AG, Henderson R, Singh R, Lawson J, Cruceanu C, Nagarajan V, Turecki G, Squassina A, Medeiros CD, Del Zompo M, Rouleau GA, Alda M, Chuang DM. Novel integrative genomic tool for interrogating lithium response in bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e504. [PMID: 25646593 PMCID: PMC4445744 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a novel integrative genomic tool called GRANITE (Genetic Regulatory Analysis of Networks Investigational Tool Environment) that can effectively analyze large complex data sets to generate interactive networks. GRANITE is an open-source tool and invaluable resource for a variety of genomic fields. Although our analysis is confined to static expression data, GRANITE has the capability of evaluating time-course data and generating interactive networks that may shed light on acute versus chronic treatment, as well as evaluating dose response and providing insight into mechanisms that underlie therapeutic versus sub-therapeutic doses or toxic doses. As a proof-of-concept study, we investigated lithium (Li) response in bipolar disorder (BD). BD is a severe mood disorder marked by cycles of mania and depression. Li is one of the most commonly prescribed and decidedly effective treatments for many patients (responders), although its mode of action is not yet fully understood, nor is it effective in every patient (non-responders). In an in vitro study, we compared vehicle versus chronic Li treatment in patient-derived lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) (derived from either responders or non-responders) using both microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA gene expression profiling. We present both Li responder and non-responder network visualizations created by our GRANITE analysis in BD. We identified by network visualization that the Let-7 family is consistently downregulated by Li in both groups where this miRNA family has been implicated in neurodegeneration, cell survival and synaptic development. We discuss the potential of this analysis for investigating treatment response and even providing clinicians with a tool for predicting treatment response in their patients, as well as for providing the industry with a tool for identifying network nodes as targets for novel drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Hunsberger
- Molecular Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,Molecular Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive MSC 1363, Bethesda, MD 20892-1363, USA. E-mail: or
| | - F L Chibane
- Molecular Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - A G Elkahloun
- National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R Henderson
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch (BCBB), Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology (OCICB), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R Singh
- Lockheed Martin Corporation, IS&GS, Bethesda, MD,USA
| | - J Lawson
- KG Science Associates, LLC, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - C Cruceanu
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - V Nagarajan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch (BCBB), Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology (OCICB), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - G Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - A Squassina
- Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - C D Medeiros
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Del Zompo
- Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - G A Rouleau
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Alda
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - D-M Chuang
- Molecular Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,Molecular Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive MSC 1363, Bethesda, MD 20892-1363, USA. E-mail: or
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Wehmeier UF, Hilberg T. Capillary earlobe blood may be used for RNA isolation, gene expression assays and microRNA quantification. Mol Med Rep 2013; 9:211-6. [PMID: 24213018 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies examining gene expression associated with diseases in children is likely, in the near future, to provide simple and easy to use methods for the isolation of RNA for gene expression profiling. Prerequisites for such studies are likely to encompass the use of small amounts of blood, as well as less invasive blood collection methods. In the current study, RNA was isolated from 20 µl capillary blood samples from the earlobes of 10 adults for quantitative PCR experiments. The results were compared with RNA isolated from venipuncture samples of the 10 samples. The expression of 4 mRNAs and 1 microRNA (miRNA), miRNA‑126, was measured. The quantitative PCR results obtained with the capillary blood probes were similar to results using venous blood samples. The few differences observed may result from a variation in the blood cell composition. The use of capillary blood samples from the earlobe for gene expression analysis is likely to allow this method to be used in newborns, babies and children. In addition, such a method, using microliters of blood samples, may also be useful for other medical studies e.g., in cases where repetitive blood sampling is necessary or in patients with bleeding disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udo F Wehmeier
- Department for Sports Medicine, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal D-42285, Germany
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