Differential expression profiles of plasma exosomal microRNAs identify potential biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT: Aims: Differential expression profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with autoimmune diseases. This study sought to elucidate the plasma exosomal miRNA expression profiles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their potential clinical significance. Methods: In the screening phase, small RNA sequencing was performed to characterize dysregulated exosome-derived miRNAs in the plasma samples from six RA patients and six healthy controls. In the independent validation phase, the candidate plasma exosomal miRNAs were verified in 40 RA patients and 32 healthy controls using quantitative real-time PCR. The association of miRNA levels with clinical characteristics in RA patients was tested. The value of these miRNAs in diagnosing RA was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Totally 177 and 129 miRNAs were upregulated and downregulated, respectively in RA patients versus healthy controls in the screening phase. There were 10 candidate plasma exosomal miRNAs selected for the next identification. Compared with the healthy controls, eight plasma exosomal miRNAs (let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7d-5p, let-7f-5p, let-7g-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-128-3p, and miR-25-3p) were significantly elevated in RA patients, but miR-144-3p and miR-15a-5p expression exhibited no significant changes. The let-7a-5p and miR-25-3p levels were associated with rheumatoid factor-positive phenotype in RA patients. For the eight miRNAs, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranged from 0.641 to 0.843, and their combination had a high diagnostic accuracy for RA (AUC = 0.916). Conclusions: Our study illustrates that novel exosomal miRNAs in the plasma may represent potential noninvasive biomarkers for RA.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE218599 | GEO | 2023/09/24

REPOSITORIES: GEO