Background/Purpose :

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by polyclonal B-cell activation and elevated production of pathogenic autoantibodies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression on the posttranslational level, which can be measured in the circulation, and are emerging as novel biomarkers in various diseases. However, a systematic analysis of circulating miRNAs in SLE patients has been rarely addressed. We attempted to identify circulating miRNAs associated with the susceptibility to SLE in Korean populations, and to elucidate their significance in clinical phenotypes of SLE.

Methods:

Blood samples were collected from Korean SLE patients (n = 70) and normal controls (NC, n = 40) at the rheumatology clinic, Ajou University Hospital. The microRNA PCR arrays identified miRNAs differentially expressed in SLE patients and NC. For the microRNA PCR arrays, we isolated total RNA from plasma samples of 10 SLE patients and 10 NC. The RNAs were pooled in each sample group (n = 10) with an equal amount of RNAs. A miRNA expression profiling analysis was performed and compared between SLE patients and NC. To verify the microRNA PCR arrays results, we performed the quantitative real-time PCR in samples from SLE patients (n = 70) and NC (n = 40).

Results:

Nine miRNAs were differentially expressed in plasma between SLE patients and NC by miRNA PCR array. The plasma expression level of hsa-miR-17-5p, hsa-miR-19a-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-25-3p, hsa-miR-92a-3p, hsa-miR-223-3p, and hsa-miR-30e-5p were up-regulated in the SLE patients compared to the NC. The plasma expression level of hsa-miR-26b-5p and hsa-miR-150-5p were down-regulated in the SLE patients compared to the NC. The hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-92a-3p, and hsa-miR-223-3p were significantly up-regulated in plasma from patients with SLE by quantitative real-time PCR. Especially, the hsa-miR-223-3p was significantly associated with oral ulcer (p<0.001) and lupus anticoagulant (p=0.031).

Conclusion: Our data suggest that plasma hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-92a-3p and hsa-miR-223-3p may be novel important promising biomarkers in the diagnosis of SLE. These novel and promising markers warrant validation in larger prospective studies.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/circulating-micrornas-as-candidate-biomarkers-of-diagnosis-in-systemic-lupus-erythematosus/