{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T17:45:39Z","timestamp":1773769539138,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]],"date-time":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1745971200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CCCDI\u2014Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development &amp; Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)","award":["PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2021-0176"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2021-0176"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Infertility is a reproductive disorder affecting approximately 10\u201315% of reproductive-age couples worldwide. Recent studies have suggested that miRNAs in follicular fluid may provide insights into reproductive potential and follicle health. This study evaluated the altered profile of miRNAs in the follicular fluid in patients undergoing IVF, considering the underlying etiology of infertility. Among our study participants, we identified four major underlying causes of infertility: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), male factor infertility, and unexplained infertility (UI). Methods: This study aimed to assess whether these infertility diagnoses are associated with distinct follicular behaviors and to identify altered miRNA patterns linked to these conditions. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) was used to evaluate the impact of the altered miRNA signature on key biological processes. Results: The bioinformatics analysis of microarray data revealed altered miRNA patterns in FF for selected subgroups. Compared to healthy controls, 25 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in PCOS (9 downregulated and 16 overexpressed), 21 in PID (15 downregulated and 6 overexpressed), and 34 in UI (24 downregulated and 10 overexpressed). These altered miRNA signatures indicate a complex interplay with essential signaling pathways, including hormonal regulation and tissue remodeling. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed key miRNAs that were differentially expressed across selected groups, indicating their potential as biomarkers for more accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment strategies. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive disorders and underscore the importance of further research to develop targeted interventions that can enhance patient outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes16050537","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,1]],"date-time":"2025-05-01T03:50:43Z","timestamp":1746071443000},"page":"537","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Altered miRNA Signatures in Follicular Fluid: Insights into Infertility Etiologies"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3055-4747","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cornelia","family":"Braicu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Ciocan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cecilia","family":"Bica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oana","family":"Zanoaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5806-0220","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura Ancuta","family":"Pop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stefan","family":"Strilciuc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Genomics, MEDFUTURE Institute for Biomedical Research, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adelina","family":"Staicu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6106-816X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iulian","family":"Goidescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Muresan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4922-3013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihai","family":"Surcel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5828-1325","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana","family":"Berindan-Neagoe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2017.03.012","article-title":"Pregnancy and birth outcomes in couples with infertility with and without assisted reproductive technology: With an emphasis on US population-based studies","volume":"217","author":"Luke","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. 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