Iraqi Journal of Biotechnology

Asthma is a globally significant non-communicable disease withmajor public health consequences for both children and adults, including high morbidity, and mortality in severe cases. Aims:This study aimed to explore how molecularchanges in the miR-let-7a gene may affect children with asthma and to determineinterleukin-13 (IL-13) levels and their relationship with asthma. Methods:Blood samples were collected from 140 subjects (52 females and 88 males) aged 1–10 yearswith allergic asthma. The patients were separated into three groups: the first groupconsisted of those <1 year old, the second group included those aged 1–5 years, andthe third group included those >5 years old. Patients were admitted to the Central Children’sHospital, Al-Kadhimiya Children’s Hospital, Al-Alawiya Children’s Hospital, and Al-Zahraa Center for Asthma and Allergy in Baghdad over the period fromNovember 2023 to February 2024. Results:The study revealed that the second agegroup had the highest asthma prevalence at 51.25%, followed by the third age groupat 38.75%, while the first group demonstrated the lowest percentage at 10.00%. The distribution of males and females among asthma patients was 65.00% and 35.00%, respectively, whereas among controls it was 58.33% and 41.67%, respectively. The results show significant differences in the expression levels of miR let-7a between the two groups. Specifically, patients exhibited significantly lower levelsof Let-7a (0.14 ± 0.1094) compared to controls (1.25 ± 0.8710), with a p-value of0.001. The IL-13 concentrations in patients were 63.72 ± 2.21, while the control group(60 individuals) had IL-13 concentrations of 50.12 ± 1.42. Conclusion:The resultsof the study indicate downregulation of the miR-let-7a gene, while high levels ofinterleukin-13 were observed in children who suffer from asthma.”