Tissue and Circulating MicroRNA Co-expression Analysis Shows Potential Involvement of miRNAs in the Pathobiology of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

The study explored the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) by comparing tissue and circulating miRNA profiles between FFA patients and controls. It included 7 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve FFA patients and 7 controls for tissue analysis, and 10 FFA patients and 10 controls for plasma analysis. Researchers identified 55 up-regulated and 11 down-regulated circulating miRNAs in FFA, with four miRNAs—hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-miR-18a-5p, has-miR-20a-5p, and hsa-miR-19a-3p—being highly predictive of FFA. These miRNAs targeted similar gene sets, implicating them in the regulation of MAPK signaling, endocytosis, and focal adhesion pathways. The study suggested these miRNAs could be potential biomarkers for FFA, pending further validation.