Small RNA Deep Sequencing Uncovers microRNAs Associated with Hearing Loss in Vestibular Schwannoma

Objective: To analyze the correlation between the miRNA expression profile in vestibular schwannoma (VS) tumor tissue and preoperative patient's hearing status, using the RNA-seq technique. Methods: Nineteen tumor samples were collected from patients operated for VS in a Tertiary Academic Center. Samples were classified into "good hearing" and "poor hearing" study group based on the results of audiometric studies. Tumor miRNA expression was analyzed using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technique, using NovaSeq 6000 Illumina system. Functional analysis was performed with the use of DIANA miRpath v. 4.0 online tool. Results: The most overexpressed miRNAs in VS samples derived from poor hearing patients belonged to miR 449a/b, miR 15/16-1, and hypoxamiR families. Functional analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNAs regulate cellular pathways associated with hypoxia, adherence junction functions, and signaling pathways such as Hippo, FOXO, MAPK, and Wnt signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study identified a specific miRNA expression profile in VS tumor tissues that correlates with hearing impairment. These results suggest potential new molecular mechanisms related to hearing loss in the course of VS.