title: Separation of Circulating MicroRNAs Using Apheresis in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are important inhibitors of mRNA translation, participate in differentiation, migration, cell proliferation, and cell death. The pathology of miRNAs results in alterations in protein expression. Recently, miRNAs circulating in peripheral blood have been shown to control the synthesis and translation of proteins at distal sites after intake into local cells. A number of studies are currently being conducted to investigate how to use miRNAs in disease treatment, but no studies have attempted to alleviate disease by directly eliminating miRNAs from blood. Therefore, we examined whether the removal or reduction of circulating miRNAs with apheresis improved pathologies caused by miRNAs. After approval of the study by our medical school's ethics committee, we collected blood and separated plasma samples from three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were undergoing plasmapheresis at our hospital. Peripheral blood was collected before and after it was passed through a primary membrane, centrifuged, and used to extract circulating miRNAs. A comprehensive expression analysis was then performed with a miRNA array chip. The levels of expression of a large number of circulating miRNAs were measured in the plasma samples separated by the primary membranes from all 3 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. We present the first report that circulating miRNAs in peripheral blood can be separated and possibly directly removed using membrane separation apheresis.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Makio
authors: M
authors: Kusaoi
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Yamaji
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Ishibe
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Go
authors: G
authors: Murayama
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Nemoto
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Sekiya
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takayuki
authors: T
authors: Kon
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Michihiro
authors: M
authors: Ogasawara
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Kazuo
authors: K
authors: Kempe
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Naoto
authors: N
authors: Tamura
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yoshinari
authors: Y
authors: Takasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Circulating microRNA; Exosomes; Membrane apheresis; Microarray; Plasma; Systemic lupus erythematosus