Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2
Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran;Department of Cellular Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotech
3
Department of Cellular Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
4
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
5
4Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Objective
MicroRNAs (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 Methods
This 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.
Results
miR-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.
Conclusion
miR-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.
Keywords
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