Research progress of circRNA as a biomarker of sepsis: a narrative review

OBJECTIVE: Explore the possibility of circRNAs as markers of sepsis. BACKGROUND: Sepsis is an abnormal immune response of our body to infection that can lead to organ failure and death. Although the research on sepsis has been extensive in the past few years, sepsis-associated morbidity and mortality are still increasing. Early diagnosis and early treatment are important for patients with sepsis. Although many markers, including procalcitonin and C-reactive protein, have been proposed as diagnostic indicators of sepsis, there are still challenges in the early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis due to the lack of sensitivity and specificity of these substances. Recently, a large number of studies have found that circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in a variety of biological functions, such as immune response, regulating the expression of miRNAs, and they are closely related to the occurrence and development of many diseases, including sepsis. However, the clear mechanism of the role of circRNAs has not been fully elucidated. An increasing number of studies have confirmed that circRNAs have potential in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. By studying the regulatory mechanism of circRNAs in sepsis, we can search for new molecular intervention targets for the treatment of sepsis, which is conducive to the development of new molecular therapeutic drugs for sepsis. METHODS: In the present study, we summarize and analyze the role of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of sepsis and discuss the possibility of circRNA as a biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: The biological characteristics of circRNAs and their role in the occurrence and development of sepsis make them possible markers of sepsis.