RESUMO
Background: Globally, approximately 70 million people suffer from epilepsy. Infants constitute a significant percentage of these cases. Hence, there is a significant need for better understanding of the pathophysiology of epilepsy through laboratory and radiological methods for early detection and optimized management. Interleukin enhancer binding factor 3 antisense RNA l (ILF3AS1) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that enhances the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), which are considered to be epileptogenic. Aim: We aimed to assess the serum expressions of the lncRNAs ILF3AS1, MMP3, and MMP9 along with microRNA-212 (miRNA-212) as predictive biomarkers in children with epilepsy; we also assessed their correlations with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Subjects and Methods: Fifty children with epilepsy and fifty healthy controls were considered in this study. Serum expressions of the lncRNA ILF3AS1 and miRNA-212 were estimated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Serum concentrations of MMP3 and MMP9 were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in parallel with MRI findings and different baseline biochemical parameters of all the subjects. Results: The results showed significantly higher levels of lncRNAs ILF3AS1, MMP3, and MMP9 as well as lower levels of miRNA-212 in children with epilepsy compared to the controls. The fold-change of miRNA-212 was a significant negative predictor (odds ratio = 0.153, p = 0.000). The receiver operating characteristic curves (Roc) showed that the areas under the curves for MMP3, MMP9, and lncRNA ILF3AS1 as well as the fold-change for miRNA-212 were 0.659, 0.738, 0.656, and 0.965, respectively. Brain lesions were detected in 15 patients (30%) with epilepsy, whereas the remaining 35 patients (70%) had normal results. Conclusion: Serum levels of the lncRNA ILF3AS1 among children with epilepsy were higher than those in the control group and were associated with upregulation of both MMP3 and MMP9 as well as downregulation of miRNA-212 expressions, suggesting their predictive utility in monitoring the development of epilepsy; this also means that a treatment plan focusing on the ILF3AS1/miRNA-212/MMP3/MMP9 axis could be an effective strategy for treating epilepsy.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that impacts not only the musculoskeletal system but also various other systems in the body, including the cutaneous, ocular, respiratory, cardiovascular, and circulatory systems. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of naturally occurring and highly conserved transcripts that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. They accomplish this by facilitating the degradation of messenger RNA (mRNA) or by repressing mRNA translation. miRNAs are well-known regulators of a variety of cellular processes. Therefore, we aimed to detect the impact of miR-155 rs767649 polymorphism on RA activity. METHODS: This case-control study included 66 Egyptian patients with RA who visited Al-Zhraa University Hospital, Internal Medicine Department, Cairo, Egypt, and 50 apparently healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. The participants were subjected to full clinical evaluation, including assessments of the disease activity score (DAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), liver and kidney function, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), and miR-155 polymorphism using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: In the RA group, the majority (98.5%) were female, with a mean age of 43 years, while in the control group, 94% were female, with a mean age of 43.4 years. Comparison of laboratory parameters indicated significantly lower hemoglobin levels, higher ESR, and higher serum creatinine and anti-CCP levels in the RA group than in the control group. The RA group had a significantly higher frequency of TT genotypes and significantly lower frequencies of TA and TT genotypes than the control group. Considering the TT genotype and T allele as references, TA, AA, and TA/AA genotypes in the dominant model; AA in the recessive model; and A allele were significantly associated with protective effects against RA development (p<0.05, odds ratio<1). CONCLUSION: rs767649, the functional variant of miR-155, plays an important role in susceptibility to the increased risk of RA, suggesting that miR-155 can be used as a therapeutic target for the treatment of Egyptian patients with RA.