title: Special role of Foxp3 for the specifically altered microRNAs in Regulatory T cells of HCC patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regulatory T cells (Tregs) exhibit functional abnormalities in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The microRNAs (miRNAs) are identified as the key modulators in Tregs. This study was to explore whether the expression profiles of miRNAs of Tregs were different in HCC-activated Tregs and whether Foxp3 had special effects on them.
  
  
  METHODS
  We isolated HCC-activated Tregs from mice bearing HCC and compared the expression profiles of miRNAs between HCC-activated Tregs and control Tregs by microarray. RNA interference against Foxp3 was also performed through transfection of synthetic siRNAs to Tregs for analyzing the effect of Foxp3 on the expression of miRNAs. Tregs isolated from HCC patients (n = 12) and healthy controls (n = 7) were used for validation of the differentially expressed miRNAs. Finally, bioinformatic analysis was applied to infer their possible roles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found nine specifically altered miRNAs in HCC-activated Tregs from the murine model. After transfection with siRNAs against Foxp3, control Tregs showed obvious reduction of Foxp3 and five miRNAs were significantly changed; HCC-activated Tregs exhibited a slight reduction of Foxp3 with three miRNAs significantly changed. Tregs from HCC patients and healthy controls finally confirmed the up-regulation of four miRNAs (hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-214-3p, hsa-miR-129-5p and hsa-miR-30b-5p). Following bioinformatic analysis suggested these altered miRNAs would target eight important signaling pathways that could affect the functions of Tregs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our studies provided the first evidence that Tregs in HCC had the specifically altered expression of miRNAs, which was affected by Foxp3. These results are useful both in finding new biomarkers and in further exploring the functions of Tregs in HCC patients.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiaqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guomin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Lab of Tumor Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, 138 Yixueyuan Road, 200032 Shanghai, PR China. cmliang@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chunmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D035683:MicroRNAs