Different expression profile of mRNA and long noncoding RNA in autoimmune thyroid diseases patients

Increasing evidence has found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and message RNAs (mRNAs) play an important role in the progress of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). So, in this study, the different expressed of lncRNA and mRNA was screened by microarray analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To further investigate the relationship among the differentially expressed genes, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and Gene ontology (GO) were used for biofunctions and signaling pathways analysis, respectively. Finally, the interaction relationship between lncRNA and mRNAs was analysis with lncRNA-mRNA coexpression network. The result found that the abnormal expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs were 1615 and 1913, respectively. The altered genes included CD40LG, IFNG, CTLA4, FAS, STAT1, STAT3, and STAT4. These were enriched in presentation and antigen processing, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, B cell receptor signaling pathway, Th17 cell differentiation, and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), all of which had been suggested to be associated with immunopathogenic mechanisms and AITD-induced pathophysiologic changes. A coexpression network profile was contained with 126 network nodes and 477 connections which were based on seven mRNAs and 119 interacted lncRNAs. The outcomes of differentially expressed lncRNAs and their coreralated mRNAs in our study revealed that lncRNAs involved in immunopathogenic mechanisms may play a crital role in the pathogenesis of AITD.