Circular RNAs hsa_circ_0000479 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as novel biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus
Qing Luo, Lu Zhang, Le Fang, Biqi Fu, Yang Guo, Zikun Huang, Junming Li
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that play a crucial role in diagnosis and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, circRNAs expression profiling in SLE from different reports are different. In this study, 11 circRNAs (hsa_circ_0000479, hsa_circ_0002316, hsa_circ_0000317, hsa_circ_0082688, hsa_circ_0082689, hsa_circ_0087798, hsa_circ_0008529, hsa_circ_0000787, hsa_circ_0021727, hsa_circ_0000175, and hsa_circ_0003694) which were found to be significantly up-regulated in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE patients in our previous study, and T cells from SLE patients in previous literature, were chosen for validation by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in PBMCs from 50 new-onset SLE patients, 24 new-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 24 new-onset ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and 45 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). The results validated that PBMCs hsa_circ_0000479, hsa_circ_0082688, and hsa_circ_0082689 were increased, while hsa_circ_0000175 was significantly decreased in SLE patients than that in RA patients, AS patients, and HC. The correlation analysis of these confirmed differentially expressed circRNAs showed that hsa_circ_0000479 was associated with C3 level and treatment, hsa_circ_0082688 was associated with anti-dsDNA level, hsa_circ_0082689 was associated with anti-dsDNA level, anti-nuclesome frequency and treatment. Receiver operating characteristic curve anaylsis suggested that hsa_circ_0000479 has significant value in distinguishing SLE from AS patients, RA patients, and HC (AUC = 0.825, p < .001). Moreover, the hsa_circ_0000479-anti-dsDNA combination model could effectively discriminate the SLE group and the control groups (RA + AS + HC), with a sensitivity of 86.00% (43/50), a specificity of 100.00% (93/93), and an accuracy of 95.10% (136/143). This study suggested that hsa_circ_0000479 in PBMC and hsa_circ_0000479-anti-dsDNA combination model may serve as potential biomarkers for SLE diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic effect.