title: MicroRNA-125b: association with disease activity and the treatment response of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNA. It was proved that some miRNAs are significantly deregulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MicroRNA-125b negatively regulates expression of TNF-α, which plays a crucial role in RA pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the treatment outcome of patients with early RA based on the expression of circulating and cellular miR-125b.
  
  
  
  Total RNA was isolated from the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 58 patients with early RA before and three months after treatment initiation and of 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). The expression of miR-125b was measured by TaqMan quantitative PCR. The treatment responders were defined as patients achieving remission or low disease activity (28-joint count disease activity score (DAS28) <3.2). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and stepwise backward multivariable logistic regression analyses of miR-125b expression were used to predict the disease outcome at three and six months after initiation of treatment.
  
  
  
  The expression of miR-125b in the PBMCs and plasma of treatment-naïve early RA patients was significantly lower than that of HC and increased significantly after three months of treatment, particularly in responders. However, only the cellular expression of miR-125b was inversely correlated with disease activity. MiR-125b expression in PBMCs was higher in responders than in non-responders after three months (p = 0.042). Using ROC analysis, the cellular expression of miR-125b, but not the disease activity at baseline, predicted the treatment response after three months of therapy (area under the curve 0.652 (95 % CI 0.510 to 0.793); p = 0.048).
  
  
  
  The expression of miR-125b in PBMCs of treatment-naïve patients may present a novel biomarker for monitoring the treatment outcome during the early phase of RA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic. hruskova@revma.cz.|Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. hruskova@revma.cz.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hruskova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jandova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vernerova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.affiliation: Technology Centre ASCR, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pecha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Klara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prajzlerova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pavelka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vencovsky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filkova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology and Department of Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Na Slupi 4, 12850, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ladislav
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Senolt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; C531888:MIRN125 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Disease activity; Early rheumatoid arthritis; MicroRNA-125b; Treatment outcome