Investigation of the mirna gene expression profile in patients with amtotrophic lateral sclerosis

ALS disease affects the neurons responsible for the control of voluntary muscles. With an incidence of two per 100.000 and a prevalence of four per 100.000 person. The studies done past ten years proved that ALS disease is both clinically and genetically heterogenous. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are molecules in the class of non-coding RNAs and they are defined as post-transcriptional regulators of protein synthesis and function to silence translation. With the identification of miRNA genes, the use of miRNAs as biomarkers become important. Reactive oxygens can cause oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and DNA. These reactive oxygen species are removed from the cells by antioxidant mechanisms, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. After studies related with measuring SOD levels in ALS patients, the study about SOD gene mutations and expression levels have increased. In this study, miRNA expression level was measured for the first time in ALS patients in Çukurova region and its usability as a biomarker was investigated. For this purpose, blood samples were taken from 20 ALS patients in Çukurova region and the expression level of miRNA125b was determined by RT-PCR method. It was proven that miRNA125b biomarker can be used in the diagnosis of ALS. Key Words: Amyotrophik Lateral Sclerosis, Süperokside Dismutase, miRNA 125 -b