Calculation of tRNA abundances from different cell types

Question

[nkabo]

Dear all,

My research group had completed an analysis on tRNA levels before I joined to study.

The aim was to compare tRNA abundances of healthy and diseased groups and they have raw data from bulk RNA sequencing. However, bulk RNA-seq results from healthy group are from endothelial cells; whereas bulk RNA-seq results from diseased group are from peripheral blood. They calculated tRNA abundances based on different cell types.

I disagree about the reliability of the comparison of such results, because difference in cell types can affect tRNA abundances, irrelevant from health state.

Do you think such comparison is valid?

I would be grateful if you could share your ideas.

Thanks a lot,

[rpolicastro]

You are correct, the effect of disease state is inseparable from the effect of cell type on tRNA abundance with that experimental setup.