Profiling circulating miRNAs in serum from pigs infected with the porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis

• A miRNA profile in pig serum during the course of an infection with the gastrointestinal parasite, Trichuris suis, is examined using RT-qPCR.
• One miRNA, ssc-let-7d-3p, is significantly up-regulated in infected pigs eight weeks into the infection and is highly complementary to the T. suis miRNA, tsu-let-7a.
• We speculate that there are possible interactions between these host- and parasite-derived miRNAs and their immune modulating roles.
• This knowledge may become valuable when designing novel diagnostic approaches for detecting whipworm infections.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered as key regulators of gene translation and are becoming increasingly recognized for their involvement in various diseases. This study investigates the miRNA profile in pig serum during the course of an infection with the gastrointestinal parasite, Trichuris suis. Of this panel, the expression of selected miRNAs in serum from T. suis infected and uninfected pigs were determined by quantitative real time PCR using Exiqon Human Panel assays at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks post first infection (wpi). One miRNA, ssc-let-7d-3p, was significantly up-regulated in infected pigs 8 wpi. Interestingly, ssc-let-7d-3p shows high complementary to tsu-let-7a, which is the most highly transcribed miRNA in T. suis. The let-7 family miRNAs have been shown to post-transcriptionally regulate the translation of the helminth-controlling cytokine, IL-13, in a murine model for asthma and we hypothesize possible interactions between these host- and parasite-derived miRNAs and their immunomodulating roles.