Airway Exosomal miRNA predicts Bronchopulmonary Dysplasis in Extremely Preterm Infants

We conducted a prospective cohort study with independent Discovery and Validation cohorts, to formulate predictive biomarkers for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in extremely preterm infants. Tracheal aspirate samples were collected at birth from extremely preterm infants. Exosomes were extracted from tracheal aspirates and total RNA was extracted from these exosomes from individual samples. miRNA profiling for all ~ 800 miRNAs was conducted on each sample by nanostring platform. This study found that a distinct airway exosomal miRNA sigrature at birth (decreased miR 876-3p) predicts future development of severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in extremely preterm infants. Prospective Cohort Study with independent discovery and validation cohorts when tracheal aspirates from extremely low birth weight infants at birth to formulate exosomal microRNA based predictive biomarkers for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.