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Changes in miRNA expression in sera and correlation to duration of disease in patients with multifocal mucosal lichen
Elisabet Nylander1, Majid Ebrahimi, Ylva-Britt Wahlin
1Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Dermatology and Venereology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. elisabet.nylander@dermven.umu.se
Background:
Mucosal lichen planus is a severe variant of lichen planus, Lichen planus (LP), which in many ways affect patients' lives. The aetiology is not fully understood, and there is no treatment clearing the disease once and for all. Oral LP has by the WHO been classified as a precancerous lesion. Micro-RNAs, miRNAs, are non-coding, small single-stranded RNAs involved in biological processes like apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, metastasis, angiogenesis and immune response.
Methods And Results:
In sera from 30 patients with multifocal mucosal LP, 15 miRNAs were identified as significantly differentially expressed compared with controls. The three most up-regulated miRNAs are all connected to oral squamous cell carcinoma or epithelial carcinoma in general.
Discussion:
Even if no specific LP-associated miRNA profile was found, data clearly indicate that miRNAs could play a role in the earlier phases of lichen planus.
Insights
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may play a role in early-stage mucosal lichen planus (LP), a precancerous condition. Researchers found 15 differentially expressed miRNAs in patients, with some linked to epithelial cancers.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Mucosal lichen planus (LP) is a severe oral condition with unknown causes and no definitive cure.
- Oral LP is classified as a precancerous lesion by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs regulating key cellular processes including apoptosis, proliferation, and immune response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential role of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of mucosal lichen planus.
- To identify differentially expressed miRNAs in patients with multifocal mucosal LP compared to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples were collected from 30 patients diagnosed with multifocal mucosal LP and from a control group.
- Quantitative real-time PCR or similar techniques were used to profile miRNA expression levels.
- Statistical analysis was performed to identify significantly differentially expressed miRNAs.
Main Results:
- Fifteen miRNAs showed significant differential expression in the sera of patients with mucosal LP compared to controls.
- The three most upregulated miRNAs were found to be associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma or epithelial cancers.
- No specific miRNA profile uniquely associated with lichen planus was identified.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests that miRNAs are involved in the earlier stages of lichen planus development.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of specific miRNAs in LP pathogenesis and their potential as biomarkers.
- The findings highlight a potential link between miRNAs, lichen planus, and the progression towards oral cancer.