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Alterations in the Expression of miR-148a-5p, TGF-β1, and TGF-βR2 in Skin Samples Exposed to Sulfur Mustard.

Atiyeh Tavakoli,Saeed Heidari Keshel,Mohadeseh Valizadeh

Published 2025 in Iranian Biomedical Journal

ABSTRACT

Background Sulfur mustard (SM) exposure causes chronic cutaneous injuries characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and delayed wound healing. MiRNAs, such as miR-148a-5p, have been implicated in regulating the Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways involved in these processes. This study aimed to evaluate whether alterations in the expression of miR-148a-5p, TGF-β1, and TGF-βR2 are associated with long-term SM-induced skin damage. Methods Skin biopsy samples were collected from 20 SM-exposed veterans and 20 healthy controls. Total RNA was extracted, and quantitative real-time PCR was performed to assess the expression levels of miR-148a-5p, TGF-β1, and TGF-βR2. Group differences were analyzed using a t-test, and ROC curves were generated to evaluate diagnostic performance. Results Expression levels of miR-148a-5p, TGF-β1, and TGF-βR2 were significantly lower in SM-exposed skin compared with controls (miR-148a-5p: p = 0.0010; TGF-β1: p < 0.0001; TGF-βR2: p < 0.0001). Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, miR-148a-5p and TGF-βR2 indicated promising discriminative potential, whereas TGF-β1 did not reach statistical significance (AUC = 0.65; p = 0.0877). Conclusion Our findings suggest that reduced expression of miR-148a-5p and TGF-βR2 may contribute to SM-related skin injury. Both markers demonstrated potential diagnostic utility and could aid in risk stratification and monitoring in SM-induced skin disease, pending further validation in larger cohorts.

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