Could miRNAs be Used as Markers for Distinguishing Undescended Testicles From Retractile Testicles

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Background: Undescended testicles (UDTs) are common in male infants. Untreated UDT poses risks such as infertility (IF), testicular cancer (TC), and testicular torsion (TT). Retractile testicles (RTs) sporadically ascend from the scrotum. UDT requires early surgical correction, whereas RT requires only periodic follow-up. Differentiating these conditions is challenging, making clinical biomarkers potentially useful. The aim of our study was to examine the use of miRNAs, which are difficult to differentiate, as biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of UDT and RT. Methods: This prospective study included 10 boys with UDT (operated), 9 with RT (followed), and 9 controls. Parent consent and serum samples were collected to evaluate miR-210, miR-34c, and miR-449a expression via real-time PCR. For group comparisons, one-way ANOVA was used for parametric data, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for nonparametric data, followed by the Dunn-Bonferroni correction for post hoc multiple comparisons. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to analyse correlations. A p value \< 0.05 was considered significant.

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