MicroRNA-146a expression and microRNA-146a rs2910164 polymorphism in Behcet's disease patients

Behcet's disease is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Oral ulcers, genital ulcers, cutaneous lesions, and ocular and articular involvement are the prominent features of the disease. The aim of the study was to assess expression of microRNA-146a and its gene polymorphism in Egyptian Behcet's disease (BD) patients and to evaluate their possible relation with clinical manifestations and activity. This is a case-control study, included 47 BD Egyptian patients, recruited from the Rheumatology outpatient clinic, Kasr Alainy Hospital, Cairo University Hospitals, and 50 healthy controls. BD activity was assessed using the BD Current Activity Score. Quantitative expressions of serum microRNA-146a and microRNA-146a rs2910164 SNP genotyping were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Serum microRNA-146a expression was significantly higher in BD patients than in controls (7. 27 ± 4.11, 1.13 ± .37) (P < 0.001). There was a significant association between microRNA-146a expression and eye activity (P = 0.033) and vascular activity (P = 0.041). miRNA-146a rs2910164 genotyping revealed that the frequency of CC genotype was higher in controls (12 vs 8.5%) and the frequency of GG genotype of rs2910164 was higher in the BD patients (59.6 vs 24%) (P = 0.138). MicroRNA-146a expression in Egyptian BD patients is significantly higher than that in controls; there is significant association between microRNA-146a expression and eye and vascular activity of BD. The frequency of CC genotype of rs2910164 was decreased; frequency of GG genotype of rs2910164 was increased in BD patients as compared to controls, suggesting that GG genotype of rs2910164 confers susceptibility to BD while CC genotype has a protective role against BD development.