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Plasma let-7i, miR-16, and miR-221 levels as candidate biomarkers for the assessment of ankylosing spondylitis in Mexican patients naïve to anti-TNF therapy

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Abstract

Novel biomarkers are needed for the diagnosis and clinical assessment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Our objective was to investigate plasma microRNAs differentially expressed between AS patients and controls and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers in Mexican subjects. A cross-sectional study including 15 AS patients naïve to anti-TNF therapy and 13 controls was performed. Disease activity, physical function, and global well-being were evaluated by the AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP), the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), and the AS Quality of Life Questionnaire (ASQoL), respectively. Total RNA was isolated from plasma of participants and relative expression of let-7i, miR-16, and miR-221 was evaluated. Serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-9, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were also measured. Expression of let-7i was higher in patients than in controls (1.8, 0.9 to 3.4 versus 0.6, 0.4 to 1.2; P = 0.033) with an AUC/ROC of 0.74 (0.54 to 0.93; P = 0.032). Levels of miR-16 and miR-221 were unable to discriminate between patients and controls. Notably, plasma miR-16 levels were inversely correlated with the ASDAS-CRP score (rho − 64, − 0.87 to − 0.18; P = 0.011), the BASFI score (rho − 0.78, − 0.93 to − 0.43; P = 0.001), and serum MMP-1 levels (rho − 0.59, − 0.85 to − 0.09; P = 0.022). No other associations were found. Plasma let-7i levels may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of AS in Mexican individuals. Additionally, plasma miR-16 levels are associated with disease activity and physical functionality in patients naïve to anti-TNF therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico

    Paola Reyes-Loyola

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico City, Mexico

    Pedro Rodríguez-Henríquez

  3. Department of Immunology, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano 1, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico

    Martha A. Ballinas-Verdugo, Yaneli Juárez-Vicuña, Valentín Jiménez-Rojas, Ricardo Márquez-Velasco, Fausto Sánchez-Muñoz & Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra

  4. School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis M. Amezcua-Castillo

  5. Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Unidad de Investigación Traslacional, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México/Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra

  6. Department of Health Care, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana−Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra

Authors
  1. Paola Reyes-Loyola
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  2. Pedro Rodríguez-Henríquez
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  3. Martha A. Ballinas-Verdugo
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  4. Luis M. Amezcua-Castillo
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  5. Yaneli Juárez-Vicuña
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  6. Valentín Jiménez-Rojas
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  7. Ricardo Márquez-Velasco
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  8. Fausto Sánchez-Muñoz
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  9. Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra.

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All human studies were approved by the local ethics committee and were performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

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Reyes-Loyola, P., Rodríguez-Henríquez, P., Ballinas-Verdugo, M.A. et al. Plasma let-7i, miR-16, and miR-221 levels as candidate biomarkers for the assessment of ankylosing spondylitis in Mexican patients naïve to anti-TNF therapy. Clin Rheumatol 38, 1367–1373 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04509-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04509-1

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