RESUMO
MicroRNA (miRNA) species (miR) regulate mRNA translation and are implicated as mediators of disease pathology via coordinated regulation of molecular effector pathways. Unraveling miR disease-related activities will facilitate future therapeutic interventions. miR-155 recently has been identified with critical immune regulatory functions. Although detected in articular tissues, the functional role of miR-155 in inflammatory arthritis has not been defined. We report here that miR-155 is up-regulated in synovial membrane and synovial fluid (SF) macrophages from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The increased expression of miR-155 in SF CD14(+) cells was associated with lower expression of the miR-155 target, Src homology 2-containing inositol phosphatase-1 (SHIP-1), an inhibitor of inflammation. Similarly, SHIP-1 expression was decreased in CD68(+) cells in the synovial lining layer in RA patients as compared with osteoarthritis patients. Overexpression of miR-155 in PB CD14(+) cells led to down-regulation of SHIP-1 and an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Conversely, inhibition of miR-155 in RA synovial CD14(+) cells reduced TNF-α production. Finally, miR-155-deficient mice are resistant to collagen-induced arthritis, with profound suppression of antigen-specific Th17 cell and autoantibody responses and markedly reduced articular inflammation. Our data therefore identify a role of miR-155 in clinical and experimental arthritis and suggest that miR-155 may be an intriguing therapeutic target.