BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNA. It was proved that some miRNAs are significantly deregulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MicroRNA-125b negatively regulates expression of TNF-α, which plays a crucial role in RA pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the treatment outcome of patients with early RA based on the expression of circulating and cellular miR-125b. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 58 patients with early RA before and three months after treatment initiation and of 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). The expression of miR-125b was measured by TaqMan quantitative PCR. The treatment responders were defined as patients achieving remission or low disease activity (28-joint count disease activity score (DAS28) <3.2). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and stepwise backward multivariable logistic regression analyses of miR-125b expression were used to predict the disease outcome at three and six months after initiation of treatment. RESULTS: The expression of miR-125b in the PBMCs and plasma of treatment-naïve early RA patients was significantly lower than that of HC and increased significantly after three months of treatment, particularly in responders. However, only the cellular expression of miR-125b was inversely correlated with disease activity. MiR-125b expression in PBMCs was higher in responders than in non-responders after three months (p = 0.042). Using ROC analysis, the cellular expression of miR-125b, but not the disease activity at baseline, predicted the treatment response after three months of therapy (area under the curve 0.652 (95 % CI 0.510 to 0.793); p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: The expression of miR-125b in PBMCs of treatment-naïve patients may present a novel biomarker for monitoring the treatment outcome during the early phase of RA.

• Klíčová slova
• Disease activity, Early rheumatoid arthritis, MicroRNA-125b, Treatment outcome,
• MeSH
• antirevmatika terapeutické užití   MeSH
• biologické markery analýza   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikro RNA analýza   MeSH
• plocha pod křivkou MeSH
• revmatoidní artritida krev   farmakoterapie   genetika   MeSH
• ROC křivka MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antirevmatika MeSH
• biologické markery MeSH
• mikro RNA MeSH
• MIRN125 microRNA, human MeSH Prohlížeč