Clinical association of serum miR-524-5p levels with injury severity and prognostic outcomes in traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has a complex pathology, with no specific biomarkers for diagnosis/prognostic stratification. miRNAs are key regulators of TBI pathological progression. OBJECTIVE: To assess miR-524-5p's diagnostic/prognostic value in TBI and its regulation of BV2 microglia. METHODS: 150 TBI patients (varying severity) and 45 controls were recruited. Serum miR-524-5p was quantified; Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)/proportional hazards model (Cox) analyses linked it to TBI severity and 28-day outcomes. LPS-stimulated BV2 cells were used to test their effects on viability, proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. RESULTS: < 0.05). It inhibited BV2 proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and exacerbated LPS-induced inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) and oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: miR-524-5p is a potential TBI diagnostic/prognostic biomarker, regulating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and offering new insights into TBI pathobiology.