title: Aberrant expression of interleukin-22 and its targeting microRNAs in oral lichen planus: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease involving oral mucosa. Interleukin-22 (IL-22) as the signature cytokine of T helper 22 cells is increasingly recognized as a key regulator in various autoimmune diseases. Our previous study reported that IL-22 immunoexpression in OLP was significantly increased compared with the normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objective of this preliminary study was to compare the IL-22 expression levels in oral biopsies from patients with OLP (n = 50) against normal oral mucosa (n = 19) using RT-qPCR and Western blot, identify the potential targeting miRNAs of IL-22, and examine the miRNA expression levels in OLP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin-22 expression level in OLP was significantly increased compared with the normal controls. The Dual-Luciferase reporter assay system in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells demonstrated that miR-562 and miR-203 were the target miRNAs of IL-22, which was consistent with predictions from bioinformatics software analyses. Interestingly, miR-562 expression in OLP was significantly decreased, but miR-203 expression in OLP was significantly increased compared with the normal controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study for the first time reported that aberrant expression levels of miR-562 and miR-203 were associated with high expression of IL-22 and demonstrated the target relationship between miRNAs and IL-22 in HEK293 cells. Our data indicated that IL-22 and its targeting miRNAs contribute to the pathogenesis of OLP. Further studies are required to investigate the regulatory pathways of IL-22 and miR-562 and miR-203 in OLP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhengyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guanhuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zengtong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Linjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019295:Computational Biology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000097043:Interleukin-22
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000097043:Interleukin-22; C546703:MIRN203 microRNA, human; C545728:MIRN562 microRNA, human
keywords: IL-22; miR-203; miR-562; oral lichen planus