Expression analysis of NF-κB-associated long noncoding RNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as potential disease biomarkers might be related to severe course of multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated expression levels of NF-κB-associated lncRNAs including HOTAIR, THRIL, H19, NKILA, and ANRIL; as well as expression of IL-6, TNF-α and MMP9, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 60 relapse-remitting MS (RRMS) patients. At relapse phase of RRMS, up-regulation of ANRIL and H19 was positively correlated with the overexpression of IL-6; high levels of THRIL and HOTAIR was positively correlated with increased levels of TNF-α and MMP9, respectively; however, the NKILA expression was negatively correlated with the expression of TNF-α.