title: Altered expression of miR-21, miR-125b, and miR-203 indicates a role for these microRNAs in oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral lichen planus (OLP), which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa with unknown etiology, affects about 2% of the population. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in normal processes such as development and differentiation as well as progression of human diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miR-21, miR-125b, and miR-203 and to compare RNA levels of their potential targets, the tumor suppressor p53 and its relative p63, both known to be deregulated in OLP.
  
  
  METHODS
  In biopsies from 20 patients with OLP and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, epithelium was laser dissected and analyzed for the expression of miR-21, miR-125b, miR-203, p53, and p63 using qRT/PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased expression of miR-21 and miR-203, decreased expression of miR-125, and down-regulation of p53 and ΔNp63 RNA were seen in OLP compared to normal oral mucosa. When comparing microRNA expression to levels of p53 and p63 RNA, a significant negative correlation was seen between ΔNp63 and miR-203 and between miR-21 and p53, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate a role for the studied microRNAs in changes seen in OLP.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Odontology Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. karin.danielsson@odont.umu.se
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Wahlin
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boldrup
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nylander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C531888:MIRN125 microRNA, human; C546703:MIRN203 microRNA, human; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C495901:TP53 protein, human; C115051:TP63 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins