MicroRNA profiling in denatured dermis of deep burn patients

Background: Denatured dermis is a part of the dermis in deep burn wound and has the ability to restore normal morphology and function. Skin grafting with the preservation of denatured dermis is a new kind of surgical procedure and has reported satisfactory clinical effects, such as lessened scar contracture and a better restoration of the appearance and function. However, the underlying mechanism of the recovery of denatured dermal function remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of regulatory noncoding single-stranded RNAs, which play a key role in normal development and physiology, as well as in disease development. This study analysed the profile of miRNAs in denatured dermis from patients and further investigated the possible roles of miRNAs played in the functional recovery of denatured dermis by prediction of the potential target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs.

Methods: The denatured dermis and paired normal skin were collected and analysed by miRNA array. The miRNA profiling results were validated by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and bioinformatics' analysis was employed to further predict the miRNA targets.

Results: A total of 66 miRNAs were differentially expressed in denatured dermis compared with those in normal skin, among which 34 were down-regulated while 32 are up-regulated. The most significantly up-regulated miRNA was miR-663, and the most significantly down-regulated one was miR-203. Differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted to be related with several signalling pathways in wound healing.

Conclusion: The differential miRNA expression identified in this study supplies experimental basis for further understanding the mechanisms of functional recovery of the denatured dermis.