To Study the Relationship between the Expression of MiR-21, MiR-155, Mir-182, and Mir-437 and Inflammatory Factors in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) affect the differentiation and function of inflammatory cells. In addition, miRNAs can regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in neuron cells. Therefore, the relationship between the expression of miRNAs and inflammatory markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with multiple sclerosis was investigated.Methods: RT-PCR determined the expression levels of MiR-21, MiR-155, Mir-182, and Mir-437 in CSF samples from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the control group. The levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL -1β, IL -6, and TNF-α in CSF were measured by ELISA. The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was measured by the quantitative turbidometric technique.Results: The expression of miRNAs and inflammatory factors were higher in the CSF of patients with MS than in the control group, and this difference was significant (P <0.05). The results of Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis show that the area under the curve was obtained for miRNA-21 (AUC = 0.97, P <0.0001), miRNA-182 (AUC = 0.97, P <0.0001), and miRNA-155 (AUC = 0.96, P <0.0001). The highest rate of correct diagnoses of MS was associated with miRNA-155 in CSF. The relationship between inflammatory cytokines and miRNA-21, miRNA-155, and miRNA-182 was statistically significant, but there was an indirect and moderate correlation between miRNA-437 and hs-CRP, which were also statistically significant.Conclusion: Our results showed that the CSF levels of IL -1β, IL -6, TNF-α, and hs-CRP, and selected miRNAs, serve as biomarkers of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and neurodegenerative processes in patients with MS.