Disease specific signature of circulating miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p in myasthenia gravis patients

• Purpose: Reliable biological markers for patients with the autoimmune neuromuscular disorder myasthenia gravis (MG) are lacking. We determined whether levels of the circulating immuno-microRNAs miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p were elevated in sera from clinically heterogeneous MG patients, with and without immunosuppression, as compared to healthy controls and patients with other autoimmune disorders. Methods: Sera from 71 MG patients and 55 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed for the expression levels of miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p with qRT-PCR. Sera were also assayed from 23 patients with other autoimmune disorders (AID; psoriasis, Addison's and Crohn's diseases). Results: 34 MG patients had no immunosuppressive drug treatment (MG-0) and 37 patients were under stable immunosuppressive drug treatment since a 6 months (MG + IMM). Serum levels of miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p were higher in the MG-0 patients compared to HC (p < 0.0001). Further, miR-150-5p levels were 41% lower and miR-21-5p levels were 25% lower in the MG + IMM compared to MG-0 (p = 0.0051 and 0.0419). In the AID patients, mean miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p were comparable with healthy controls (p = 0.66). Conclusions: The immuno-microRNAs miR-150-5p and miR-21-5p show a disease specific signature, which suggests these microRNAs as possible biological autoimmune markers of MG. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Myasthenia gravis

MG

MicroRNA

miR150-5p

miR21-5p

Autoimmune disorders

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