Elevated Expression of the Long Noncoding RNA MAFTRR in Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators in autoimmune diseases.
• MAFTRR (MAF transcriptional regulator RNA) influences Th1 cell differentiation by modulating MAF expression.
• The role of MAFTRR in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) pathogenesis is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate MAFTRR expression in HT patients.
• To determine the correlation between MAFTRR and Th1 cells in HT.
• To evaluate MAFTRR's potential as a diagnostic marker for HT.

Main Methods:

• Flow cytometry to assess Th1 and CD8+IFN-γ+ T cell proportions in PBMCs.
• Quantitative real-time PCR to measure MAFTRR, MAF, and IFNG transcript levels in PBMCs and thyroid tissues.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess MAFTRR's diagnostic value.

Main Results:

• HT patients exhibited increased Th1 cells and IFNG transcript levels.
• MAFTRR transcript levels were significantly elevated in HT patients, correlating positively with Th1 cells and thyroid autoantibodies.
• MAF expression was reduced in HT patients, while IFNG showed positive correlation with MAFTRR and inverse correlation with MAF.
• Upregulated MAFTRR and IFNG expression were observed in thyroid tissues of HT patients.
• ROC analysis indicated MAFTRR's potential to distinguish HT patients from healthy controls.

Conclusions:

• MAFTRR is upregulated in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
• Elevated MAFTRR may contribute to the pathogenic role of Th1 cell responses in HT.
• MAFTRR shows potential as a biomarker for HT diagnosis.