Title:Study on the Expression and Potential Function of LncRNA in Peripheral
Blood of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Volume: 20
Issue: 5
Author(s): Xie Hong-Yuan, Tang Yi-Ping, Yi Ting, Liao Xia, Zhang Quan-Bo, Qing Yu-Feng*Dai Fei
Affiliation:
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong,
637000, China
Keywords:
Ankylosing spondylitis, LncRNA, autoimmune disease, RT-qPCR, bioinformatics analysis, disability.
Abstract:
Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune disease that has the characteristics
of difficult early diagnosis and a high disability rate.
Objective: The objective of this study was to further explore the possible mechanism and potential
function of lncRNA in AS.
Methods: We used lncRNA microarray technology to detect the expression of lncRNA and mRNA
in patients with active AS, stable patients, and healthy controls (HC). Afterward, bioinformatics
analysis was conducted on differentially expressed genes. Seven differentially expressed lncRNAs
were screened out for real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), combined with
various clinical indicators for correlation analysis, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
curve was used to analyze the potential of lncRNA as a diagnostic marker for AS.
Results: The results showed that the expression levels of NR-037662 and ENST00000599316 in
the AS subgroups were significantly higher than those in the HC group, while the expression levels
of ENST00000577914 and ENST00000579003 were lower than those in the HC group. The expression
levels of NR-003542 and ENST00000512051 in the ASA group were significantly higher
than those in the ASS and HC groups, while NR-026756 was just the opposite. Spearman’s correlation
analysis showed that the expression level of NR-003542 was positively correlated with
Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR),
and high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP). The expression level of NR-026756 was negatively
correlated with the Bath Ankylosing Spine Inflammatory Disease Activity Index (BASDAI),
BASFI, ESR, hsCRP, and globulin (GLOB). In addition, it was also found that the ROC
curve analysis of the 4 lncRNAs between the AS group (ASA group and ASS group) and the HC
group were statistically significant, and the area under the curve (AUC) of NR-037662, ENST00000599316,
ENST00000577914, and ENST00000579003 was 0.804, 0.812, 0.706, and
0.698, respectively.
Conclusion: It was found that these differentially expressed lncRNAs of AS may be involved in
the occurrence and development of the disease. Among them, NR-037662, ENST00000599316,
ENST00000577914, and ENST00000579003 might have the potential to become AS diagnostic
molecular markers. Moreover, NR -003542, ENST00000512051, and NR-026756 might have the
potential to be indicators of disease activity.
