Comparative Analysis of Plasma MicroRNAs in Patients With Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma and Tufted Angioma Versus Infantile Hemangioma

Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and tufted angioma (TA) can be confused with infantile hemangioma (IH) because of the age of presentation and the presence of a vascular cutaneous lesion. KHE/TA may be complicated by the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon, a life-threatening condition. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as markers for identifying the pathophysiologic features in several diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate miRNAs that may be used to differentiate KHE/TA from IH. We selected a set of 20 miRNAs that have been previously reported to be associated with angiogenesis or have been previously reported to be differentially expressed in KHE/TA compared with IH. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate miRNAs in plasma samples from 12 patients with KHE/TA and 23 patients with IH. Patients with KHE/TA had significantly lower plasma levels of chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC) miRNAs (miR-517c-3p, miR-518d-5p, miR-519a-3p, and miR-525-5p) compared with patients with IH. No significant correlations were found between the plasma levels of C19MC miRNAs and lesion size in patients with KHE/TA. Plasma levels of C19MC miRNAs may be used to distinguish KHE/TA from IH, which may aid in the management and treatment of patients with KHE/TA.