Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jun;42(6):1683-1694.
doi: 10.1007/s10067-023-06534-7. Epub 2023 Feb 10.

Analysis of microRNA-199a-3p expression in CD4+ T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus

Huijing Wang #  1   2 , Guannan Geng #  1   3 , Danting Zhang  1 , Fei Han  2 , Shuang Ye  4
Affiliations

Analysis of microRNA-199a-3p expression in CD4+ T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus

Huijing Wang et al. Clin Rheumatol. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: Accumulating evidence have suggested microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we aimed to explore aberrant expression of miRNAs in CD4+ T cells from SLE patients and their potential function in SLE pathogenesis.

Methods: First, next-generation sequencing was performed on CD4+ T cells from four SLE patients and three healthy controls (HCs). Candidate miRNAs were then validated in CD4+ T cells from 97 patients with SLE, 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and 12 HCs using qRT-PCR. Then the relationship between the candidate miRNA and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Bioinformatics analysis and validation of the target genes of the candidate miRNA were performed.

Results: A total of 66 upregulated miRNAs and 70 downregulated miRNAs were found between SLE and normal CD4+ T cells samples. miR-199a-3p was identified significant upregulation in the CD4+ T cells of lupus patients. High expression of miR-199a-3p was correlated with several clinical characteristics including low C3 level, positive anti-dsDNA antibody, high ESR level, active lupus nephritis, and active disease activity. When distinguishing active LN from non-LN or active lupus from stable lupus, the AUCs of miR-199a-3p were 0.68 and 0.70, respectively. And the expression of miR-199a-3p, involved in JAK-STAT signaling pathway, was negatively correlated with the STAM expression in CD4+ T cells of SLE.

Conclusion: Our study suggested a novel and promising role of miR-199a-3p in CD4+ T cells for SLE. Further studies are needed to precisely determine the function of miR-199a-3p in this disease. Key Points • Aberrant expression of miRNAs in CD4+ T cells and their potential function in SLE pathogenesis remained unclear. • miR-199a-3p in CD4+ T cells plays a novel role in the pathogenesis of SLE and serves as a potential target for SLE.

Keywords: Biomarker; CD4+ T cells; JAK-STAT signaling pathway; Systemic lupus erythematosus; microRNA.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Tsokos GC (2011) Systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med 365(22):2110–2121. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1100359 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Doria A, Gatto M, Zen M, Iaccarino L, Punzi L (2014) Optimizing outcome in SLE: treating-to-target and definition of treatment goals. Autoimmun Rev 13(7):770–777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2014.01.055 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Moulton VR, Suarez-Fueyo A, Meidan E, Li H, Mizui M, Tsokos GC (2017) Pathogenesis of human systemic lupus erythematosus: a cellular perspective. Trends Mol Med 23(7):615–635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2017.05.006 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Morel L (2017) Immunometabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13(5):280–290. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.43 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Teng X, Brown J, Choi SC, Li W, Morel L (2020) Metabolic determinants of lupus pathogenesis. Immunol Rev 295(1):167–186. https://doi.org/10.1111/imr.12847 - DOI - PubMed - PMC

LinkOut - more resources