Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39947668›Full record

ArticleThe European respiratory journal2025

Association of fibrotic-related extracellular vesicle microRNAs with lung involvement in systemic sclerosis.

Julien Guiot, Béatrice André, Judith Potjewijd, Pierre Jacquerie, Sébastien Cremers, Monique Henket, Latifa Idoufkir, Claire Remacle, Rachid Tobal, Laurie Giltay and 12 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The European respiratory journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Julien GuiotLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Béatrice AndréLaboratory of Rheumatology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Judith PotjewijdDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9730-9298
Pierre JacquerieLaboratory of Rheumatology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Sébastien CremersLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Monique HenketLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Latifa IdoufkirLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Claire RemacleLaboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Rachid TobalDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Laurie GiltayLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Catherine MoermansLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9558-5878
Fanny GesterLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Barbara PoleseLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Malik HamaïdiaLaboratory of Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Ingrid StrumanLaboratory of Molecular Angiogenesis, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Edouard LouisLaboratory of Gastroenterology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Michel MalaiseLaboratory of Rheumatology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Dominique de SenyLaboratory of Rheumatology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Pieter van PaassenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Renaud LouisLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Clio RibbensLaboratory of Rheumatology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Makon-Sébastien NjockLaboratory of Pneumology, GIGA Research Center, University of Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium ms.njock@chuliege.be.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8137-1978

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a pressing need to identify early biomarkers of lung involvement in systemic sclerosis to start antifibrotic therapy as soon as possible. We aimed to identify extracellular vesicle-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) that are differentially expressed between systemic sclerosis patients with and without interstitial lung disease, and to explore their diagnostic value and functional properties.

methodsSmall extracellular vesicles derived from plasma were isolated from 91 well-characterised patients with systemic sclerosis with (n=45) and without (n=46) interstitial lung disease and 43 matched healthy subjects. Small RNA-sequencing followed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR were used to identify and validate small extracellular vesicle miRNAs associated with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease. Correlations between systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease miRNAs and clinical parameters were assessed, as well as the effect of related miRNAs/small extracellular vesicles on fibrosis.

resultsWe identified a four-miRNA signature associated with interstitial lung disease in the context of systemic sclerosis (miR-584-5p, miR-744-5p, miR-1307-3p and miR-10b-5p) (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.85, 95% CI 0.76-0.94; p<0.0001). Deeper analysis revealed a correlation of these candidates with pulmonary function tests (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide and forced vital capacity), highlighting their use in monitoring lung fibrosis progression in systemic sclerosis patients. Furthermore, small extracellular vesicle miRNAs associated with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease are positively correlated with and enriched in circulating lymphocytes, suggesting that these immune cells are their cellular source. Finally, functional studies highlighted altered functional properties of small extracellular vesicles in the context of systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, mainly due to the transfer of profibrotic miR-584-5p in lung fibroblasts.

conclusionsOur small extracellular vesicle-based biomarker approach identified a promising four‑miRNA signature characteristic of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis patients. Furthermore, the profibrotic properties of small extracellular vesicles associated with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease suggest a prominent role of these vesicles in systemic sclerosis severity.

Indexed as

Extracellular VesiclesLung Diseases, InterstitialMicroRNAsScleroderma, SystemicAdultAgedBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansLungMaleMiddle AgedROC CurveBiomarkersMicroRNAs

Identifiers

PMID39947668
PMCPMC12138034

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.