Molecular Interplay Between Covid-19 and Stroke: Experimental Insights Into Microrna-Regulated Neuroinflammation Publisher



Soltani S ; Zandi M ; Mirzaei H ; Ebrahimi S ; Zaheri H R ; Abbasi S
Source: Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology Published:2026

Abstract

Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide spectrum of neurological complications, including stroke, and emerging evidence suggests a critical role of microRNAs in their development. This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of miR-124, miR-636, and miR-485-5p in COVID-19 patients with and without stroke, compared with healthy individuals, to investigate their potential roles in COVID-19-associated neurological manifestations. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 individuals: 25 COVID-19 patients with stroke, 25 COVID-19 patients without stroke, and 50 healthy controls. COVID-19 infection was confirmed using RT-PCR. Following plasma isolation and RNA extraction, quantitative real-time PCR was performed to determine the expression levels of miR-124, miR-636, and miR-485-5p. The Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post hoc test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The miR-124 expression was significantly increased in the stroke-positive group (5.13 ± 2.48) compared to both the stroke-negative (1.78 ± 1.03) and control groups (1.69 ± 0.64) (p = 0.0084). Significant differences were observed between the stroke-positive and stroke-negative groups (p = 0.0156), as well as between the stroke-positive and control groups (p = 0.0333). Although not statistically significant, a trend toward increased levels was observed in the stroke-positive group (p = 0.3594). miR-636 showed no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.9987). miR-485-5p showed a nonsignificant trend toward higher levels in stroke-positive patients (2.15 ± 1.53 vs. 1.38 ± 1.01, p = 0.36). Conclusion: The results demonstrated a significant overexpression of miR-124 in COVID-19 patients with stroke, highlighting its potential role in COVID-19-associated neurological disorders. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and assess its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker. Copyright © 2026 Saber Soltani et al. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.