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By Paul Schumacker, PhD, editor, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
Follow Dr. Schumacker on Twitter @ATSRedEditor

A Circulating Micro-RNA Signature Serves as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Indicator in Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is hard to diagnose and its diagnosis depends on excluding alternative diseases. Recognizing this, Christian Ascoli and colleagues conducted a study that identified eight micro-RNAs (miRNAs) from peripheral blood that could distinguish sarcoidosis from controls with a positive predictive value of 88 percent. Four of the miRNAs were positive predictors of sarcoidosis and four were negative predictors. Two of the miRNAs were associated with poor prognosis and disease severity.

The authors conclude their January American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology article by arguing that the miRNA signature they identified may have “value as an initial non-invasive diagnostic test” for sarcoidosis and a “conceivable role” as an early prognostication tool for changes “associated with poor clinical outcomes.”

January Highlights

Translation Review: Immunomodulatory Cell Therapy to Target Cystic Fibrosis Inflammation

Translational Review: Semaphorins and Their Roles in Airway Biology: Potential as Therapeutic Targets

Sirtuin 1 Protects against Systemic Sclerosis–Related Pulmonary Fibrosis by Decreasing Proinflammatory and Profibrotic Processes

Deletion of c-FLIP from CD11bhi Macrophages Prevents Development of Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis

RGS4 Overexpression in Lung Attenuates Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Mice

Genetic Variation in MAP3K1 Associates with Ventilator-Free Days in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome