title: [Expression and  clinical significance  of miR-155 in peripheral  blood  CD4(+);T cells of patients with allergic asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and clinical significance of miR-155 in the peripheral  blood  CD4(+);T cells of   patients with allergic  asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression  of pre-mature BIC  transcript and its processed microRNA  miR-155 in the CD4(+); T cells from 50 patients with allergic asthma and 20 healthy individuals were measured using real-time PCR. The correlation of miR-155  expression and  the disease severity of asthma was analyzed. The ability of miR-155 to influence Th1/Th2 differentiation was examined in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression  of pre-mature BIC and miR-155 in the CD4(+); T cells of asthma patients significantly decreased compared to those in normal controls (P<0.01). Furthermore,  the expression of BIC in moderate and severe asthma patients was lower than that in normal controls (P<0.05). Among mild,  moderate, severe asthma patients,  BIC expression showed no statistical significance,  but miR-155 expression of severe asthma patients was lower than that in mild asthma patients (P<0.05). The expression level of miR-155 was positively correlated to FEV1/pred(%) (P<0.01). miR-155 over-expression was found to promote  CD4(+); T cells to Th1 differentiation,  while of miR-155 was found to induce  CD4(+); T cells to Th2 differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decreased expression level of miR-155 is correlated to asthma disease severity. It is  suggested  miR-155 plays an important  role in development of asthma.
authors.affiliation: The Laboratory Medicine of Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China.
authors.forename: Ying-ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Meng-ying
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C524942:MIRN155 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs