Exosomal microRNAs are novel circulating biomarkers in cigarette, waterpipe smokers, E-cigarette users and dual smokers
Abstract Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) produce aerosolized substances by heating a liquid, which contains large number of chemicals. The aerosol generated by E-cig may produce serious health effects. Cigarette smoke exposure may causes various diseases including COPD, atherosclerosis, and lung cancer. Waterpipe tobacco smoking also causes various acute and chronic health effects including cardiopulmonary diseases. MicroRNAs are present in higher concentration in exosomes that play a major role in various normal physiological functions and diseases. We hypothesized that the non-coding RNAs transcript may serve as susceptibility to disease biomarkers by smoking and vaping. Results Our data show the enrichment of various non-coding RNAs that include microRNAs, tRNAs, piRNAs, snoRNAs, snRNAs, Mt-tRNAs, and other biotypes in exosomes. The detailed differential expression analysis of microRNAs, tRNAs and piRNA showed significant changes between pairwise comparisons of different groups. The common changes in differential expression of 8 microRNAs that are hsa-let-7a-5p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-30a-5p, hsa-let-7i-5p, and hsa-let-7g-5p were found when compared with all smoking and vaping groups with non-smoking group. The e-cig group has differentially expressed 7 microRNAs (hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-193b-3p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-423-3p, hsa-miR-500b-3p, hsa-miR-365a-3p|hsa-miR-365b-3p) that is specific for this group, not expressed in other three groups. Gene set enrichment analysis of microRNA showed significant changes in the top six enriched functions that consisted of biological pathway, biological process, molecular function, cellular component, site of expression and transcription factor in all groups. Further, the pairwise comparison of tRNAs and piRNA in all groups also revealed significant changes in differential expression. Conclusions Plasma exosomes of cigarette smokers, waterpipe smokers, e-cig users and dual smokers have common differential expression of microRNAs (hsa-let-7a-5p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-let-7f-5p, hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-30a-5p, hsa-let-7i-5p, and hsa-let-7g-5p), may be biomarker for tobacco exposure. Additionally, the e-cig users have also differential expressed microRNAs (hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-193b-3p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-423-3p, hsa-miR-500b-3p, and hsa-miR-365a-3p|hsa-miR-365b-3p) that is specific for this group. This study will help to better understand molecular mechanisms of plasma exosome non-coding RNAs and in developing biomarkers that may be useful in diagnosis and therapy of pulmonary injury and disease by smoking and vaping.