Diagnostic Value of MicroRNAs in Active Tuberculosis based on Meta-analysis and Enrichment Analyses

Tuberculosis (TB) infection remains a crucial global health challenge, with active tuberculosis (ATB) representing main infection source. MicroRNA (miRNA) has emerged as a potential diagnostic tool in this context.. This study aims to identify candidate miRNAs for ATB diagnosis and explore their possible mechanisms. Differentially expressed miRNAs in ATB were summarized in qualitative analysis. The diagnostic values of miRNAs for ATB subtypes were assessed by overall sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. Additionally, we conducted enrichment analysis on miRNAs and target genes. Over 100 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, withmiR-29 family being the most extensively studied. The miR-29 family demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of 76%, 84% and 0.87 respectively for active pulmonary TB (PTB). The differentially expressed miR-29-target genes in PTB were enriched in immune-related pathways. The miR-29 family exhibits good specificity for active PTB and strongly association with immune process.