Association of plasma microRNA-21 expression with seizures in glioma patients

Seizures are a frequent manifestation of glioma, but the relationship between circulating microRNAs and seizure presentation remains poorly defined. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is an oncogenic microRNA involved in glioma progression and seizure-related molecular responses. This study examined the association between plasma miR-21 expression and seizure presentation in glioma. This cross-sectional study included 191 patients with glioma who underwent surgical resection at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Seizure status and clinicopathological characteristics were obtained from medical records. Preoperative plasma miR-21 expression was quantified using qRT-PCR and calculated using the \(\:{2}^{-{Δ\:}Ct}\) method. Associations were evaluated using bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression. Seizures at diagnosis were documented in 67 patients (35.1%). Patients with seizures were younger than those without seizures (median age, 40.0 years [IQR, 29.0–47.0] vs. 52.0 years [IQR, 39.0–62.0]; p < 0.001). Plasma miR-21 expression was higher in patients with seizures than in those without seizures (3.29 [IQR, 1.30–6.53] vs. 2.25 [IQR, 0.78–4.65]; p = 0.034), although the distributions overlapped substantially. An interquartile-range increase of 4.46 units was associated with higher odds of seizure presentation after adjustment for measured covariates (adjusted OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.05–3.33; p = 0.030). Younger age and frontal lobe involvement also remained associated with seizure presentation. Higher plasma miR-21 expression was associated with seizure presentation after adjustment for measured covariates. Plasma miR-21 may represent a candidate circulating marker of seizure presentation in glioma, warranting prospective multicenter studies with longitudinal sampling to clarify its temporal and clinical relevance.