Role of microRNAs in regulating tissue inflammation inpatients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

• Grant number: 11/18715-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: November 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Alberto Azoubel Antunes
• Grantee: Vitor Massaro Takamatsu Sagae
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a very common disease among older men and one of the major health problems in men. We estimate that about 50% of men between 50 and 60 years have BPH and more than 75% of men over 80 are suffering from this disease. In recent years the role of inflammation in the genesis and evolution of BPH has gained much value. This is due to the common finding of inflammatory cells in histological specimens of the prostate of elderly men. The microRNA (miRNA) are small RNAs that don't codify proteins, comprised of 20 to 23 nucleotides. They have gained a great importance for its role regulating the expression of coding genes. Several studies have demonstrated the great importance of miRNA in regulating the immune response related to inflammatory processes. Several studies have speculated the role of miRNAs 126, 146, 155, 181 and 223 in the inflammatory process, based on these studies, the goal of our work is to associate the expression of these miRNAs and interleukins in the inflammation associated with BPH.