MicroRNA-21 expression in CD4+ T cells is regulated by STAT3 and is pathologically involved in Sézary syndrome

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that control gene expression, and are involved in the regulation of fundamental biological processes including development, cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. miRNAs regulate gene expression in normal hematopoiesis, and aberrant miRNA expression might contribute to leukomogenesis. Specifically, miR-21 is abundantly expressed in various tumors including leukemia and lymphoma, and is functionally involved in oncogenic processes. We investigated a role for miR-21 in Sézary Syndrome (SS), a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) with CD4+ tumor cells (Sézary cells) present in the skin, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood. It was shown previously that SS is characterized by constitutively activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling. In this study we show by chromatin immunoprecipitation that miR-21 is a direct STAT3 target in Sézary cells. Stimulation of Sézary cells or healthy CD4+ T cells with the common-γ chain cytokine IL-21 results in a strong activation of STAT3, and subsequent upregulation of miR-21 expression. Both pri- and mature miR-21 expression are increased in Sézary cells when compared with CD4+ T cells from healthy donors. Silencing of miR-21 in Sézary cells results in increased apoptosis, suggesting a functional role for miR-21 in the leukomogenic process. Consequently, miR-21 might represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of SS.