A systematic review, meta-analysis, and network analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative process of the optic nerve that is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and early diagnosis of the disease could greatly affect patients’ prognoses. The pathophysiology of glaucoma is complicated by a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Deciphering the early diagnostic biomarkers in glaucoma could attenuate the disease's global burden and help us understand the exact mechanisms involved in glaucoma. The microRNAs are members of a larger family of non-coding RNAs that play an essential role in the epigenetic basis of glaucoma. A systematic study and meta-analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma, jointly with network analysis of target genes, were carried out on published papers assessing differentially expressed microRNAs in human subjects. In total, 321 articles were found, and, after screening, six studies were eligible for further analysis. 52 differentially expressed microRNAs were found, of which 28 and 24 were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. Only 12 microRNAs were qualified for meta-analysis, with overall sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 74%, respectively. Then, using network analysis, it became apparent that the VEGF-A, AKT1, CXCL12, and HRAS genes were the most important targets for the microRNAs. Perturbations in WNT signaling, protein transport, and extracellular matrix organization pathways were discovered to be important in the etiology of glaucoma using the community detection approach. This study tries to uncover the promising microRNAs and their target genes that govern the epigenetics of glaucoma. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40001-023-01093-8.