title: Downregulated expression of miR-155, miR-17, and miR-181b, and upregulated expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase and interferon-α in PBMCs from patients with SLE.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) were involved in its pathogenesis. However, only a limited number of miRNAs have been examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 31 untreated SLE patients and 31 healthy subjects to examine the expression levels of miR-155, miR-17, and miR-181b, as well as those of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and interferon-α (IFN-α) messenger RNAs (mRNAs). We examined the relationship between miR-181b, AID, and IFN-α with a luciferase reporter assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of miR-155, miR-17, and miR-181b were significantly lower in SLE patients than those in healthy controls, whereas those of AID and IFN-α mRNAs were significantly higher in SLE patients than those in healthy controls. The expression levels of miR-155, miR-17, and miR-181b inversely correlated with those of AID and IFN-α mRNAs in SLE patients. The results of the luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-181b negatively regulated AID and IFN-α.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study demonstrated for the first time that there is a differential expression and inverse correlation between the levels the miR-155, miR-17, and miR-181b and target molecules, AID and IFN-α mRNAs, in PBMCs of untreated SLE patients. These alterations may contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Hagime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaga
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komatsuda
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omokawa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teshima
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology , Nephrology, and Rheumatology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine , Akita , Japan.|b Department of Life Science , Akita University Graduate School of Engineering and Resource Science , Akita , Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult; D000098830:AICDA (Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase)
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000098830:AICDA (Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase); D003564:Cytidine Deaminase
keywords: Activation-induced cytidine deaminase; Interferon-α; MicroRNAs; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Systemic lupus erythematosus