Anna Rostedt Punga1, Mats Andersson2, Mohammad Alimohammadi3, Tanel Punga4. 1. Department of Neuroscience, Clinical Neurophysiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: anna.rostedt.punga@neuro.uu.se. 2. Feldbergstrasse 67, Basel, Switzerland. 3. Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 4. Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract
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 ≥ 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.
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 ≥ 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.
Authors: Liis Sabre; Jeffrey T Guptill; Melissa Russo; Vern C Juel; Janice M Massey; James F Howard; Lisa D Hobson-Webb; Anna Rostedt Punga Journal: J Neuroimmunol Date: 2018-10-06 Impact factor: 3.478
Authors: Liis Sabre; Paul Maddison; Sui H Wong; Girija Sadalage; Philip A Ambrose; Gordon T Plant; Anna R Punga Journal: Ann Clin Transl Neurol Date: 2019-01-24 Impact factor: 4.511
Authors: Rachel Waller; Matthew Wyles; Paul R Heath; Mbombe Kazoka; Helen Wollff; Pamela J Shaw; Janine Kirby Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2018-01-09 Impact factor: 4.677