Circulating microRNA-23b as a new biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis.

This study evaluated miR-23b expression and assessed its potential as a biomarker of disease activity for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Differential expression of microRNAs was determined by miRNA microarray analysis in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from four trauma patients as healthy controls (HCs) and eight RA patients. The microarray results showed elevated expression of miR-23b in FLSs from RA patients and this finding was corroborated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and in situ hybridization using synovial tissues (STs). Furthermore, we found miR-23b levels in plasma of RA patients were significantly higher than in HCs, and plasma miR-23b levels positively correlated with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), C-reactive protein (CRP), DAS28, and platelet (PLT) count (P < 0.05). MiR-23b levels in plasma inversely correlated with the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P < 0.05), but not with rheumatoid factor (RF) or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) (P > 0.05). Moreover, patients with anorexia showed higher levels of miR-23b in plasma than those without anorexia. Similar results were observed with fatigue. Appropriate treatment for RA not only ameliorated the disease condition but also reversed the elevated plasma m...
Source: Gene - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Gene Source Type: research