Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a common health problem and require an
efficient campaign to be eradicated from tropical countries. Almost a million people die of NTDs
every year in the world, and almost forty percent of the patients are under 20 years. Mass Drug Administration
(MDA) is an effective tool for eradication of this health condition. However, a
monitoring system is required to evaluate treatment-response and early detection of the re-emerging
NTD. The relevance of current tests depends on good quality of the specimen. Thus, new molecular
methods with high sensitivity and specificity are required. In this review, we focus on microRNAs
(miRNAs) as biomarkers of NTDs through a narrative review on human research. We searched for
reliable search engines using a systematical literature review algorithm and included studies that fit
the criterion. Five NTDs (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted
helminthiases, and trachoma) were set as our target diseases. Later on, the data were extracted and
classified as monitoring response and early detection. Four miRNAs were studied in filariasis as a
monitoring response. There were 12 miRNAs related to onchocerciasis infection, and 6 miRNAs
with schistosomiasis infection. Six miRNAs showed a link to soil-transmitted helminths. Only 3
miRNAs correlated with trachoma infection. In conclusion, circulating miR is a less invasive and
promising approach to evaluate NTDs. Further field study may translate those candidate miRs to
clinical application of the prevention and control of NTDs.
Community-based interventions for the prevention and control of helmintic neglected tropical diseases
