LncRNA MIAT enhances systemic lupus erythematosus by upregulating CFHR5 expression via miR-222 degradation

Clinical characteristics of early-onset paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus in a single centre in China

OBJECTIVES

We sought to investigate the sex distribution, clinical presentations, disease outcomes and genetic background of early-onset paediatric SLE (eo-pSLE) in a single centre in China to help enable early diagnosis and timely treatment.

METHODS

The clinical data of children aged less than 5 years old with SLE (n = 19) from January 2012 to December 2021 were reviewed and analysed. We performed DNA sequencing in 11 out of 19 patients to survey the genetic aetiologies.

RESULTS

Our study included 6 males and 13 females. The mean age at onset was 3.73 years. The median diagnostic delay was 9 months and was longer in male patients (P = 0.02). Four patients had an SLE-relevant family history. The most common clinical manifestations at diagnosis were fever, rash and hepatosplenomegaly. ANA positivity and low C3 were identified in all children. The renal (94.74%), mucocutaneous (94.74%), haematological (89.47%), respiratory (89.47%), digestive (84.21%), cardiovascular (57.89%) and neuropsychiatric (52.63%) systems were involved to varying degrees. We identified 13 SLE-associated gene mutations in 9 out of 11 patients: TREX1, PIK3CD, LRBA, KRAS, STAT4, C3, ITGAM, CYBB, TLR5, RIPK1, BACH2, CFHR5 and SYK. One male patient showed a 47, XXY chromosomal abnormality.

CONCLUSION

Early-onset (<5 years) pSLE is characterized by an insidious onset, typical immunological patterns, and the involvement of multiple organs. Immunological screening and genetic testing should be performed as soon as feasible in patients with an early onset of multisystemic autoimmune diseases to confirm the diagnosis.

Comprehensive LncRNA and Potential Molecular Mechanism Analysis in Noninfectious Uveitis

Purpose

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is noncoding RNA and have played a key role or be treated as a biomarker in a variety of diseases such as tumors. However, extensive lncRNA analysis for uveitis has not been explored completely. In this study, we analyzed the lncRNAs with altered expression in peripheral blood comprehensively for three major autoimmune diseases (ankylosing spondylitis [AS], Behҫet's disease [BD], and sarcoidosis) to search potential hub gene and molecular mechanism for noninfectious uveitis.

Methods

In total, we included 18 patients with AS and 12 patients with sarcoidosis versus 25 controls for GSE18781; we also included 15 patients with BD versus 14 controls for GSE17114 in this study. The lncRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels were determined by microarray using serum samples from patients and healthy controls.

Results

Twenty-one lncRNAs and 1073 mRNAs were detected in patients with AS, 4 lncRNAs and 62 mRNAs in patients with BD, and 196 lncRNAs and 5376 mRNAs in patients with sarcoidosis. Thus, we suspected lncRNA XIST and MIAT, mRNA FCGBP, CD247, CTSW, AES, NCR3, TIGIT, CASP5, DUSP2, and TBX21 may be the most possible hub genes for AS, BD, and sarcoidosis. These RNAs were involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and inflammatory cytokine pathways.

Conclusions

In this study, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis identified lncRNAs with altered expression in three major autoimmune diseases that may combine with noninfectious uveitis. This study provides novel insights into the molecular pathogenetic mechanisms and key information toward developing new diagnostic biomarkers and special therapeutic targets for noninfectious uveitis in AS, BD, and sarcoidosis.

Translational Relevance

LncRNAs and their potential mechanisms provide new strategies for prevention and treatment for noninfectious uveitis in patients with AS, BD, and sarcoidosis.

The emerging role of noncoding RNAs in systemic lupus erythematosus: new insights into the master regulators of disease pathogenesis

Auto-immune diseases are a form of chronic disorders in which the immune system destroys the body's cells due to a loss of tolerance to self-antigens. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), identified by the production of autoantibodies in different body parts, is one of the most well-known examples of these diseases. Although the etiology of SLE is unclear, the disease's progression may be affected by genetic and environmental factors. As studies in twins provide adequate evidence for genetic involvement in the SLE, other phenomena such as metallization, histone modifications, and alterations in the expression of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) also indicate the involvement of epigenetic factors in this disease. Among all the epigenetic alterations, ncRNAs appear to have the most crucial contribution to the pathogenesis of SLE. The ncRNAs' length and size are divided into three main classes: micro RNAs, long noncoding RNAs (LncRNA), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulations in these ncRNAs contributed to the pathogenesis of SLE. Hence, clarifying the function of these groups of ncRNAs in the pathophysiology of SLE provides a deeper understanding of the disease. It also opens up new opportunities to develop targeted therapies for this disease.

Upregulation of microRNA-762 suppresses the expression of GIPC3 in systemic lupus erythematosus and neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), is a complex systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by variable course and multiple organ dysfunction. Our study aimed to identify crucial microRNA (miRNAs) in SLE and NPSLE.

METHODS

Totally 12 cases of serum specimens were collected from General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University (SLE = 4, NPSLE = 4, control = 4). After miRNA sequencing, differential expression analysis, miRNA target prediction, and miRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory network construction were performed to identify the hub miRNAs. The expression of target gene was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

RESULTS

There were 79 and 59 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in NPSLE versus Control, and SLE versus Control, respectively. Among 35 overlapped DEmiRNAs, 5 upregulated miRNAs' (hsa-miR-762, hsa-miR-4270, hsa-miR-3663-3p, hsa-miR-4778-5p, and hsa-miR-4516) target genes were supported by at least six databases. The miRNA-mRNA network indicated that core miRNA hsa-miR-762 regulated 1270 target genes. MiR-762 was significantly upregulated in SLE and NPSLE, and over expression of miR-762 significantly suppressed GIPC PDZ domain containing family member 3 (GIPC3) expression in SLE and NPSLE.

CONCLUSIONS

Upregulation of hub miRNA miR-762 can suppress the expression of GIPC3 in both SLE and NPSLE samples, which is probably involved in the development of SLE and NPSLE. Meanwhile, along with the development from SLE to NPSLE, miR-762 exhibits higher expression.

Long Intergenic Noncoding RNAs Affect Biological Pathways Underlying Autoimmune and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) are a class of independently transcribed molecules longer than 200 nucleotides that do not overlap known protein-coding genes. LincRNAs have diverse roles in gene expression and participate in a spectrum of biological processes. Dysregulation of lincRNA expression can abrogate cellular homeostasis, cell differentiation, and development and can also deregulate the immune and nervous systems. A growing body of literature indicates their important and multifaceted roles in the pathogenesis of several different diseases. Furthermore, certain lincRNAs can be considered potential therapeutic targets and valuable diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers capable of predicting the onset of a disease, its degree of activity, or the progression phase. In this review, we discuss possible mechanisms and molecular functions of lincRNAs in the pathogenesis of selected autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders: multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This summary can provide new ideas for future research, diagnosis, and treatment of these highly prevalent and devastating diseases.

Identification of lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profile in Relapsed Graves' Disease

Background: Graves’ disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disease, and its pathogenesis is unclear. Studies have found that the occurrence of GD is related to the immune disorder caused by the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. The CD4⁺ T cell subset is closely related to the immune disorder of GD. LncRNAs are RNA molecules with a length of more than 200 nt and are involved in a variety of autoimmune diseases. However, the roles of lncRNAs in recurrent GD are still elusive. The purpose of this study is to identify lncRNA and mRNA expression profile in relapsed Graves’ disease.

Method: CD4⁺ T cells from 12 recurrent GD and 8 healthy controls were collected for high-throughput sequencing. The gene-weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to construct the co-expression module relevant to recurrent GD, and the key genes in the module were verified by RT-PCR.

Results: There are 602 upregulated lncRNAs and 734 downregulated lncRNAs in CD4⁺ T cells in recurrent GD patients compared with the healthy controls. The module most relevant to GD recurrence was constructed using WGCNA, and the key genes in the module were verified by RT-PCR. We found that the expression of RPL8, OAS2, NFAT5, DROSHA, NONHSAT093153.2, NONHSAT118924.2, and NONHSAT209004.1 was significantly decreased in GD group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively).

Conclusion: LncRNAs are closely related to the recurrence of GD. For the first time, we constructed the expression profile of lncRNAs and mRNAs in CD4⁺ T cells in recurrent GD patients.

Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic modifications and immune-cell infiltration in tissues from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Aim: To explore potential abnormal epigenetic modifications and immune-cell infiltration in tissues from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Materials & methods: To utilize bioinformatics analysis and 'wet lab' methods to identify and verify differentially expressed genes in multiple targeted organs in SLE. Results: Seven key genes, IFI44, IFI44L, IFIT1, IFIT3, PLSCR1, RSAD2 and OAS2, which are regulated by epigenetics and may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, are identified by combined long noncoding RNA-miRNA-mRNA network analysis and DNA methylation analysis. The results of quantitative reverse transcription PCR, immunohistochemistry and DNA methylation analysis confirmed the potential of these genes as biomarkers. Conclusion: This study reveals the potential mechanisms in SLE from epigenetic modifications and immune-cell infiltration, providing diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for SLE.