Nida Farooqui,  ( Department of Biological Biomedical Sciences Aga Khan University, Karachi )
Qurat-ul-ain Maha  ( Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi-Pakistan. )
Rehana Rehman  ( Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. )

https://doi.org/10.5455/JPMA.59197

 

Dear Editor, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an ovarian dysfunction with clinical manifestations such as menstrual irregularities, signs of hyperandrogenaemia, obesity and because of hyperinsulinaemia, risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. PCOS development also include genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.¹ Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is an NAD+ -dependent deacetylase protein that plays an important role in cellular/metabolic stress or gene injury.² As PCOS is a physiological dysfunction associated with inflammation, immune system and insulin metabolism, SIRT1 levels have been observed higher in PCOS patients than in a healthy person.³ MiRNAs are nucleotide regulatory RNAs and its activation helps for transition of a cell from one state to another therefore playing a critical role in many cells such as cell proliferation, development, survival and apoptosis particularly in the granulosa cells of the ovary.⁴ In some metabolic diseases miRNA are highly expressed revealing them as a target to study for diseases associated with SIRT1 dysfunction and PCOs (Figure).

Therefore any overexpressed biomarker related to SIRT1 and PCOS would be a helpful diagnostic tool.² In obesity and metabolic disorders miRNA-34a binds to 32-UTR of SIRT1 gene and lowers its expression, as SIRT1 ac tivity become dysfunctional, metabolic stress, inflammation and PCOS elevated.² We can target miRNA- 34a as a therapeutic factor for PCOS, whereas miRNA 16(decreased expression) and miRNA -222, 146a and 30c(increased expression)^3,5 can be used as a possible biomarkers for PCOS diagnosis for further research exploration and can help derive positive results to ease the patients trauma and pain.

 

Disclaimer: None to declare.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

Funding Sources: We received support from Pakistan Science Foundation, PSF/Res/S-AKU/Med(479).

 

References

 

1. Fu X, He Y, Wang X, Peng D, Chen X, Li X, et al. MicroRNA-16 Promotes Ovarian Granulosa Cell Proliferation and Suppresses Apoptosis Through Targeting PDCD4 in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Cell Physiol Biochem 2018; 48: 670-82.

2. Choi SE, Kemper JK. Regulation of SIRT1 by microRNAs. Molecules Cells. 2013; 36: 385-92.

3. Kiyak Caglayan E, Engin-Ustun Y, Gocmen AY, Polat MF, Aktulay A. Serum sirtuin 1 levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Obstet Gynaecol 2015; 35: 608-11.

4. Christenson LK. MicroRNA control of ovarian function. Animal Reprod 2010; 7: 129-33.

5. Humplikova L, Kollinerova S, Papajik T, Pikalová Z, Holzerová M, Prochazka V, et al. Expression of miR-15a and miR-16-1 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia: 2013;157.