title: A novel regulatory function for miR-29a in keloid fibrogenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A growing body of evidence has shown that microRNA-29 (miR-29) plays a central role in the progression of fibrosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of miR-29 in keloid fibrogenesis remain unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the roles of miR-29 in dermal fibroblasts in the pathogenesis of keloids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary fibroblasts from 9 patients with keloid and 6 healthy controls (HCs) were cultured and pretreated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Next, fibroblasts were transfected with precursor miRNA and anti-miR-29a miRNA. TGF-β1-associated miR-29 alterations were investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. Collagen I and collagen III protein levels were analysed by western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-29a, miR-29b and miR-29c levels were significantly lower in keloid compared with healthy fibroblasts (P < 0.05), and in particular, miR-29a was especially markedly reduced (P < 0.001). Type I and type III collagen mRNA and protein levels were decreased in keloid fibroblasts transfected with pre-miR-29a (P < 0.05), whereas knockdown with anti-miR-29a increased type I and type III collagen mRNA and protein expression (P < 0.05) in the fibroblasts. Interestingly, pretreatment of fibroblasts with TGF-β1 significantly decreased miR-29a (P < 0.05), whereas miR-29b and miR-29c were reduced to a lesser extent, which was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that miR-29a exerts as a novel regulator in the fibrogenesis of keloid, suggesting that miR-29a might be a novel marker for keloid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: G-Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Huang-Pu Hospital of First Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-Sen, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: L-C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: G-C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Y-X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: A-Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: D-M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: J-Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: W-Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Q-F
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III; D035683:MicroRNAs; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1