Elevated miR-409-5p may promote the progression of osteoarthritis by targeting DLST as a potential biomarker function of miR-409-5p in osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) significantly impairs the quality of life of middle-aged and elderly individuals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play key regulatory roles in OA progression. AIMS: To investigate the potential role mechanisms of miR-409-5p in OA. METHODS: This study enrolled 93 OA patients and 75 non-OA controls. The expression levels of miR-409-5p, DLST, and OA-related markers were measured using RT-qPCR or Western Blot. The targeting relationship between miR-409-5p and DLST was verified by dual luciferase reporter assays. Cell viability was assessed with the CCK-8 assay, and inflammatory cytokine concentrations were measured via ELISA. RESULTS: Serum miR-409-5p expression was higher in OA patients than in controls and showed good diagnostic value for OA. Inhibiting miR-409-5p suppressed IL-1β-induced viability in CHON-001 cells, promoted aggrecan expression, suppressed MMP13 expression, and reduced secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. MiR-409-5p directly targeted DLST, and their expression levels were negatively correlated. Knockdown of DLST abolished the beneficial effects of miR-409-5p inhibition on cell viability, extracellular matrix degradation, and inflammatory responses. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-409-5p was highly expressed in OA and may promote disease progression by targeting DLST.