MiR-711 and miR-183-3p as potential markers for vital reaction of burned skin

In forensic practice,the identification of antemortem burns and postmortem burns is of the utmost importance.Reports from previous studies have shown that miRNAs,with lengths stretching over 18–25 nucleotides,are highly stable and resistant to degradation.However,there has been little research into the application of miRNAs in identifying antemortem and postmortem burns.This study compared the expression of miR-711 and miR-183-3p levels in mouse and postmortem human burned skins using RT-qPCR assay.RT-qPCR examination of burned mouse skins showed that increased miR-711 and miR-183-3p expression in comparison to intact skin tissues.The increased expressions of these two miRNAs were observed until 120 h after death in burned mouse skins,whereas no significant changes were found in postmortem burned skins.In human burned skins,the increased levels of these two miRNAs at 48 h following autopsy occurred in 19 of 26 subjects,which appeared to be related to the severity of the burn.These findings suggest that miR-711 and miR-183-3p may act as biomarkers for vital reaction of skin burn.

Differentially Expressed microRNAs as Potential Markers for Vital Reaction of Burned Skin

The identification of antemortem burns and postmortem burns is essential in forensic practice.In this study,microRNA(miRNA)microarray analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in the skin of an experimental burn model.Microarray analysis revealed 24 differentially expressed miRNAs in antemortem burned mice skin,with 19 miRNAs significantly upregulated and 5 downregulated.Based on the intersection predicted using three databases(Targetscan,microRNA.org,and PITA),293 potential miRNA targets were identified.These dysregulated miRNAs and their predicted targets were further analyzed using the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases.Several functional categories and signaling pathways were enriched,including the“fc epsilon ri signaling pathway,”“endometrial cancer,”and“mTOR signaling pathway.”Expression patterns of 10 differentially expressed miRNAs were verified by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction in mice skins.The results agreed with the results of microarray analysis.These findings suggest that differentially expressed miRNAs revealed by microarray are potential markers for forensic molecular diagnosis of antemortem burns.