Expression Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs in the Blood of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently reported to participate in the regulation of immune responses. Consequently, aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been suggested as an underlying cause of MS. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of three lncRNAs with putative roles in the regulation of immune response, namely TNF-α and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L (THRIL), Fas cell surface death receptor- antisense 1 (FAS-AS1), and plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in circulating blood cells of 50 Iranian relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients compared with healthy subjects by means of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We detected a significant downregulation of PVT1 and FAS-AS1 expressions in RRMS patients while a significant upregulation of THRIL in patients compared with controls (P < 0.001). Correlation analyses between lncRNA expression levels and clinical data of MS patients revealed no significant correlation between lncRNAs expression levels and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), a moderate correlation between PVT1 expression levels and duration of the disorder and no significant correlation between lncRNAs expression levels and age at onset. In addition, we demonstrated correlations between the expression levels of PVT1 and THRIL as well as expression levels of THRIL and FAS-AS1 in RRMS patients. In brief, we have demonstrated dysregulation of three lncRNAs in MS patients. Further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanisms by which these lncRNAs participate in regulation of immune responses.