MicroRNA expression profiling in rheumatoid arthritis during Janus kinase inhibitor therapy
In recent decades, new agents have emerged for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, such as biologic and targeted synthetic therapies like Janus kinase inhibitors, which have promised new possibilities for treating the disease. In our current study, a total of 28 RA-active patients were recruited, from whom blood samples were taken immediately before enrolment and six months after continuous JAK inhibitor therapy. After peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation from the blood samples, total RNA was extracted, and high-throughput next-generation sequencing was performed to obtain microRNA expression pattern. We examined how the six months of continuous JAK inhibitor therapy influenced the miRNA expression pattern, regardless of responsiveness. Then responder status of the patients was determined based on the change of clinical parameter of DAS28 and responsiveness related microRNAs were identified. These could be potential biomarker candidates of responsiveness to JAK inhibitor therapy