ncRNAs in breast milk of mothers with SLE: potential implications for neonatal immune development

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease primarily characterized by the production of autoantibodies that induce tissue damage. Although the etiology of the disease remains unclear and may be attributed to numerous factors, various studies emphasize the role of epigenetic mechanisms in SLE. In particular, alterations in non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression have been identified as potential causes as well as promising biomarkers of the disorder. ncRNAs are a diverse group of molecules involved in the regulation of gene expression. Due to their accessibility in bodily fluids, such as serum or breast milk, they are considered promising biomarkers for different diseases. As SLE is more common among adult women of reproductive age, this raises the question of whether alterations in ncRNA levels in the breast milk of mothers with SLE might affect the breastfed infant. Breast milk is essential for the development of the immune response in infants; therefore, it is important to identify alterations in ncRNAs that may be relevant for neonatal development. Although there is currently no direct evidence of altered ncRNA levels in the breast milk from mothers with SLE, this literature review aims to examine various ncRNA molecules associated with SLE in terms of their presence in human breast milk and their impact on the neonatal immune system.