Serum and urinary cell-free MiR-146a and MiR-155 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies showed that micro-RNA play important roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We studied the levels of miR-146a and miR-155 in the serum and urinary supernatant of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).


METHODS
The serum and urinary supernatant levels of miR-146a and miR-155 were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 40 patients with SLE and 30 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Compared to controls, serum miR-146a and miR-155 levels were lower, and the urinary level of miR-146a was higher, in SLE. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) correlated with both serum miR-146a (r = 0.519, p = 0.001) and miR-155 (r = 0.384, p = 0.014). Serum miR-146a inversely correlated with proteinuria (r = -0.341, p = 0.031) and the SLE Disease Activity Index (r = -0.465, p = 0.003). Serum miR-146a and miR-155 levels also correlated with red blood cell count, platelet count, and lymphocyte count. After treatment with calcitriol for 6 months, serum miR-146a level of SLE patients increased significantly (p < 0.001), and its change inversely correlated with the level of calcium-phosphate product (r = -0.466, p = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggested that serum miR-146a and miR-155 participate in the pathophysiology of SLE and might be used as biomarkers of SLE.
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
Gang
G
Wang
Lai-Shan
LS
Tam
Edmund Kwok-Ming
EK
Li
Bonnie Ching-Ha
BC
Kwan
Kai-Ming
KM
Chow
Cathy Choi-Wan
CC
Luk
Philip Kam-Tao
PK
Li
Cheuk-Chun
CC
Szeto
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; C524942:MIRN155 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs