Serum lncRNAs TUG1, H19, and NEAT1 and their target miR-29b/SLC3A1 axis as possible biomarkers of preeclampsia: Potential clinical insights

Serum expression signature of TUG1, MALAT1, miR-483, and miR-141 and their targets TGF-β1 and STAT3 in severe male factor infertility

Long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs have evolved as biomarkers and specific therapeutic targets for male infertility. We investigated the seminal plasma and serum expression profiles of TUG1, MALAT1, miR-483, and miR-141 and their targets TGF-β1 and STAT3 in severe male factor infertility. The potential of their serum levels as minimally invasive, clinically accessible, and more feasible biomarkers and their clinical correlations were explored. Thirty non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients, 30 severe oligozoospermia (SO) patients, and 30 healthy fertile men (controls) were enrolled. Compared to controls, seminal plasma and serum TUG1 and miR-141 were downregulated; meanwhile, miR-483 and STAT3 were upregulated in both NOA and SO patients, while MALAT1 was upregulated in NOA but downregulated in SO patients. Seminal plasma TGF-β1 was higher in NOA patients than in controls and SO patients, while its serum levels were not statistically different between the studied groups. NOA patients showcased higher serum STAT3 mRNA expression than SO patients. Seminal plasma and serum levels of most of the tested markers were correlated among NOA and SO patients. Multivariate logistic analysis unraveled the association of serum TUG1 and miR-141 with NOA risk and serum TUG1 and miR-483 with SO risk. A serum-based panel of TUG1/miR-141 and TUG1/miR-483 discriminated NOA (AUC = 0.93) and SO (AUC = 0.972) from controls, respectively. Serum miR-141 was correlated with the hormonal profile in NOA patients. In SO patients, serum TUG1 was correlated with total testosterone levels and abnormal sperm motility, while serum MALAT1 was inversely correlated with the testicular volume. Conclusively, this study introduces a novel serum-based prediction panel of TUG1/miR-141 and TUG1/miR-483 to help enhance the accuracy of NOA and SO diagnosis. Serum MALAT1 and STAT3 could be useful in stratifying NOA and SO. These findings warrant more future investigations for their possible implication in male infertility diagnostics.

Emerging Role of Long, Non-Coding RNA Nuclear-Enriched Abundant Transcript 1 in Stress- and Immune-Related Diseases

Long, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNAs exceeding 200 nucleotides in length, lacking the ability to be translated into proteins. Over the past few decades, an increasing number of publications have established lncRNAs as potent regulators in a broad spectrum of diseases. They modulate the expression of critical genes by affecting transcription, post-transcription, translation, and protein modification. This regulation frequently involves the interaction of lncRNAs with various molecules, such as proteins, RNA, and DNA. lncRNAs are involved in diseases where stress is a significant factor. In recent years, lncRNAs have been identified as regulators of both innate and adaptive immune responses, playing significant roles in the onset and progression of diseases. Additionally, lncRNAs hold potential as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for numerous stress- and immune-related diseases. lncRNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) is a notable example. This review consolidates the latest findings about the role of lncRNA NEAT1 in stress response and immune cell function in non-cancer diseases. It summarizes studies on NEAT1 regulating stress response, both innate and adaptive immunity, and its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for stress- and immune-related diseases.

Serum lncRNA ITGB2-AS1 and ICAM-1 as novel biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis diagnosis

BACKGROUND

The complete circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) signature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) is still uncovered. The lncRNA integrin subunit beta 2 (ITGB2)-anti-sense RNA 1 (ITGB2-AS1) affects ITGB2 expression; however, there is a gap in knowledge regarding its expression and clinical usefulness in RA and OA. This study investigated the potential of serum ITGB2-AS1 as a novel diagnostic biomarker and its correlation with ITGB2 expression and its ligand intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), disease activity, and severity in RA and primary knee OA patients.

SUBJECTS

Forty-three RA patients, 35 knee OA patients, and 22 healthy volunteers were included.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, serum ITGB2-AS1 expression was upregulated in RA patients but wasn't significantly altered in knee OA patients, whereas serum ICAM-1 protein levels were elevated in both diseases. ITGB2-AS1 showed discriminative potential for RA versus controls (AUC = 0.772), while ICAM-1 displayed diagnostic potential for both RA and knee OA versus controls (AUC = 0.804, 0.914, respectively) in receiver-operating characteristic analysis. In the multivariate analysis, serum ITGB2-AS1 and ICAM-1 were associated with the risk of developing RA, while only ICAM-1 was associated with the risk of developing knee OA. A panel combining ITGB2-AS1 and ICAM-1 showed profound diagnostic power for RA (AUC = 0.9, sensitivity = 86.05%, and specificity = 91.67%). Interestingly, serum ITGB2-AS1 positively correlated with disease activity (DAS28) in RA patients and with ITGB2 mRNA expression in both diseases, while ICAM-1 positively correlated with ITGB2 expression in knee OA patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study portrays serum ITGB2-AS1 as a novel potential diagnostic biomarker of RA that correlates with disease activity. A predictive panel combining ITGB2-AS1 and ICAM-1 could have clinical utility in RA diagnosis. We also spotlight the association of ICAM-1 with knee OA diagnosis. The correlation of serum ITGB2-AS1 with ITGB2 expression in both diseases may be insightful for further mechanistic studies.