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Characterisation of peripheral blood mononuclear cell microRNA in early onset psoriatic arthritis
Giovanni Ciancio1, Manuela Ferracin2, Elena Saccenti3
1Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara and Sant'Anna University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy. g.ciancio@ospfe.it.
Objectives:
To evaluate the micro-RNA (miRNA) expression profile in patients with early psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in order to assess the role of miRNAs as potential PsA biomarkers.
Methods:
The expression of 723 mature miRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of early PsA patients in comparison with early-rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) patients and healthy controls (HC) was evaluated using a miRNA microarray. All patients had active disease and were naïve from treatment. The results were validated for a specific miRNA (miR-21-5p) in the entire series of patients plus an additional group of early PsA, ERA and HC using droplet digital PCR.
Results:
In PsA, microarray analysis revealed a distinct pattern of 19 (vs. HC) and 48 (vs. ERA) deregulated miRNAs (p<0.05). The significant up-regulation of miR-21-5p both in early PsA and in ERA in comparison with HC was validated and confirmed. In PsA, miR-21-5p was found significantly down regulated after 12 weeks of therapy, which significantly correlated with the reduction of DAPSA score.
Conclusions:
In early PsA, a 19- (vs. HC) and 48- (vs. ERA) miRNA signature was identified. A differential expression of miRNAs in patients with active disease makes them attractive biomarkers of psoriatic disease. MiR-21-5p was found up-regulated both in early PsA and ERA, a finding which highlights its role in the inflammatory process in general and its potential role as a therapeutic target in different inflammatory disorders. A potential role of miR-21-5p as a response to treatment biomarker in early PsA has been identified.
Insights
Micro-RNA (miRNA) profiling identified distinct signatures in early psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients compared to healthy controls and early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) patients. MiR-21-5p shows potential as a biomarker for inflammation and treatment response in PsA.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease.
- Identifying reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and monitoring of PsA is crucial.
- Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with regulatory roles in gene expression and are implicated in various diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the miRNA expression profile in patients with early psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
- To assess the potential of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PsA.
- To evaluate the expression of specific miRNAs, such as miR-21-5p, in relation to disease activity and treatment response.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis was used to compare the expression of 723 mature miRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from early PsA patients, early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) patients, and healthy controls (HC).
- All participants had active disease and were treatment-naïve.
- Droplet digital PCR was employed to validate the expression of miR-21-5p in the entire cohort and an additional group.
Main Results:
- Microarray analysis revealed a distinct miRNA signature in early PsA patients, with 19 deregulated miRNAs compared to HC and 48 compared to ERA patients (p<0.05).
- miR-21-5p was significantly up-regulated in both early PsA and ERA patients compared to HC.
- In PsA patients, miR-21-5p expression decreased significantly after 12 weeks of therapy, correlating with a reduction in the Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) score.
Conclusions:
- A unique miRNA signature (19 vs. HC, 48 vs. ERA) was identified in early PsA, suggesting miRNAs as potential biomarkers for psoriatic disease.
- The up-regulation of miR-21-5p in early PsA and ERA highlights its role in general inflammatory processes and its potential as a therapeutic target.
- miR-21-5p demonstrates potential as a biomarker for treatment response in early PsA.
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