%0 Journal Article %T Upregulation of CD4+T-Cell Derived MiR-223 in The Relapsing Phase of Multiple Sclerosis Patients %J Cell Journal (Yakhteh) %I Royan Institute, Iranian Academic Center for Education Culture and Research (ACECR) %Z 2228-5806 %A Hosseini, Aref %A Ghaedi, Kamran %A Tanhaei, Somayeh %A Ganjalikhani-Hakemi, Mazdak %A Teimuri, Shohreh %A Etemadifar, Masoud %D 2016 %\ 08/01/2016 %V 18 %N 3 %P 371-380 %! Upregulation of CD4+T-Cell Derived MiR-223 in The Relapsing Phase of Multiple Sclerosis Patients %K CD4+T %K Cell %K MicroRNAs %K MiR %K 223 %K multiple sclerosis %K Th17 %R 10.22074/cellj.2016.4565 %X ObjectiveMicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of non-coding RNAs which play key roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Previous studies indicate that miRNAs are dysregulated in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells are two subsets of CD4+T-cells which have critical functions in the onset and progression of MS. The current study seeks to distinguish fluctuations in expression of CD4+T-cell derived miR-223 during the relapsing-remitting (RR) phase of MS (RR-MS), as well as the expressions of Th17 and Treg cell markers. Materials and MethodsThis experimental study used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to evaluate CD4+ T cell derived miR-223 expression patterns in patients that experienced either of the RR-MS phases (n=40) compared to healthy controls (n=12), along with RNA markers for Th17 and Treg cells. We conducted flow cytometry analyses of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and RAR-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) in CD4+T-cells. Putative and validated targets of miR-223 were investigated in the miRWalk and miRTarBase databases, respectively. ResultsmiR-223 significantly upregulated in CD4+T-cells during the relapsing phase of RR-MS compared to the remitting phase (P=0.000) and healthy individuals (P=0.036). Expression of RORγt, a master transcription factor of Th17, upregulated in the relapsing phase, whereas FOXP3 upregulated in the remitting phase. Additionally, potential targets of miR-223, STAT1, FORKHEAD BOX O (FOXO1) and FOXO3 were predicted by in silico studies. ConclusionmiR-223 may have a potential role in MS progression. Therefore, suppression of miR-223 can be proposed as an appropriate approach to control progression of the relapsing phase of MS. %U https://www.celljournal.org/article_250382_df6dd08959b833aa2adf3276ff8155c1.pdf