Blood microRNA expressions in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis and the relationship between microRNAs and psoriasis activity

Abstract

Background: In recent studies, microRNAs (mi-RNAs) have been shown to play an important role in psoriasis pathogenesis. However, studies evaluating mi-RNAs in the blood of psoriasis patients including a large number of mi-RNA panels are scarce. Objective: The authors aimed to assess mi-RNA expressions in blood samples of psoriasis patients, as well as to evaluate the association between mi-RNA expression and psoriasis severity. Methods: This was a case-control study on 52 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 54 controls. Patients’ medical history, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores, and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores were recorded. The 42 disease-related mi-RNA primers were assessed by real-time PCR. Results: In the patient group, 13.4% presented nail involvement and 8.2% had psoriatic arthritis. The mean PASI and DLQI scores were 7.90 ± 8.83 and 8.13 ± 5.50, respectively. Among 42 mi-RNA primers; hsa-miR-155-5p, hsa-miR-369-3p, hsa-miR-193b-3p, hsa-miR-498, hsa-miR-1266-5p, hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-miR-205-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-30b-3p, and hsa-miR-515-3p expressions were significantly up-regulated, whereas hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-424-5p, hsa-miR-223-3p, hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-126-5p, hsa-miR-181a-5p, hsa-miR-222-3p, hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p, hsa-miR-17-3p, hsa-miR-30b-5p, hsa-miR-130a-3p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, and hsa-miR-16-5p were significantly down-regulated in psoriasis patients when compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Study limitations: As the study included patients with mild to moderate psoriasis who mostly only received topical treatments, changes in miRNA before and after systemic treatments were not assessed. Conclusion: The detection of 24 mi-RNA expressions up- or down-regulated in psoriasis patients, even in those with milder disease, further supports the role of mi-RNAs in the psoriasis pathogenesis. Future studies should clarify whether mi-RNAs can be used as a marker for psoriasis prognosis or as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of psoriasis. © 2020 Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia