Diagnostic potential of three serum microRNAs as biomarkers for equine sarcoid disease in horses and donkeys.
Authors: Unger Lucia, Abril Carlos, Gerber Vinzenz, Jagannathan Vidhya, Koch Christoph, Hamza Eman
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary: MicroRNA Biomarkers for Equine Sarcoid Disease Equine sarcoids remain challenging to diagnose definitively without biopsy, prompting investigation into serum microRNAs as potential non-invasive biomarkers. Unger and colleagues compared expression of three candidate miRNAs (eca-miR-331, eca-miR-100, and eca-miR-1) in 68 sarcoid-affected equids against 69 tumour-free controls and 20 horses with other skin tumours using reverse transcription quantitative PCR, whilst examining how biological variables such as age and sample haemolysis affected results. Only eca-miR-331 showed promise, with significantly elevated serum concentrations in sarcoid-affected animals compared to tumour-free controls (P = .002), though the diagnostic accuracy was modest: ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.65 with 60% sensitivity and 71% specificity—insufficient for clinical use as a standalone test. Importantly, eca-miR-331 expression was robust against confounding variables including sarcoid type and disease severity, and the authors identified critical preanalytical factors (age and haemolysis) that compromise the reliability of the other two miRNAs tested. Whilst serum eca-miR-331 alone cannot replace clinical examination and biopsy, its potential as part of a multi-marker diagnostic panel warrants further investigation, and practitioners should be aware that sample handling and patient age may significantly influence microRNA-based test interpretation.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Serum eca-miR-331 testing cannot yet be recommended as a standalone diagnostic tool for equine sarcoids in clinical practice due to limited sensitivity and specificity
- •This research represents early-stage biomarker development; awaiting validation with larger multi-center studies before clinical implementation
- •If serum miRNA panels become available clinically, combining eca-miR-331 with other biomarkers may improve diagnostic accuracy for sarcoid detection
Key Findings
- •Eca-miR-331 expression was significantly higher in ES-affected equids compared to tumor-free controls (P = .002)
- •Eca-miR-331 showed modest diagnostic performance with 60% sensitivity and 71% specificity (AUC 0.65)
- •Eca-miR-331 expression was unaffected by age, hemolysis, ES type, and disease severity, making it a robust biomarker candidate
- •Eca-miR-331 alone is insufficient as a single diagnostic biomarker for equine sarcoids but may have potential in combination with other miRNAs