Molecular regulatory pathways link sepsis with metabolic syndrome: Non-coding RNA elements underlying the sepsis/metabolic cross-talk

Sepsis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are both inflammation-related entities with high impact for human health and the consequences of concussions. Both represent imbalanced parasympathetic/cholinergic response to insulting triggers and variably uncontrolled inflammation that indicates shared upstream regulators, including short microRNAs (miRs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). These may cross talk across multiple systems, leading to complex molecular and clinical outcomes. Notably, biomedical and RNA-sequencing based analyses both highlight new links between the acquired and inherited pathogenic, cardiac and inflammatory traits of sepsis/MetS. Those include the HOTAIR and MIAT lncRNAs and their targets, such as miR-122, −150, −155, −182, −197, −375, −608 and HLA-DRA. Implicating non-coding RNA regulators in sepsis and MetS may delineate novel high-value biomarkers and targets for intervention.