| Objective:The aim of our study was to analyze the expression levels and correlation of lncRNA GAS5,lncRNA MEG3 and autophagy-related genes LC3,Beclin1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)from ankylosing spondylitis(AS)patients,and to explore the role and significance of lncRNA GAS5,lncRNA MEG3,LC3,and Beclin1 in the pathogenesis and progression of AS.Methods:A case-control study was conducted.From March 2019 to October 2019,a total of 50 AS cases and 50 healthy controls were enrolled.AS cases came from the Rheumatology and Immunology Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.Healthy controls came from the Medical Examination Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.5 m L of venous blood samples were collected from every research subjects,and the AS Epidemiology Questionnaire was completed by AS patients.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR)was used to detect the expression levels of lncRNA GAS5,lncRNA MEG3,and autophagy-related genes LC3 and Beclin1 in PBMCs of AS patients and controls.Plasma levels of cytokines IL-17 and IL-23 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Data was entered by using Epi Data 3.1;statistical graphs were produced by using Graph Pad Prism 7;statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 23.0.Quantitative data of normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation,and analyzed by t test or analysis of variance.Qualitative data intergroup analysis was performed by?~2 test.Quantitative data of non-normal distribution were expressed by Median(IQR),Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups,Kruskal Wallis H test was used for comparison among more than two groups.Pearson correlation was used for data of normal distribution,and spearman rank correlation was used for data of non-normal distribution.The test level was set at 0.05 on two-sides.Results:A total of 50 AS patients(37 males and 13 females)and 50 healthy controls(40 males and 10 females)were included in this study.The mean age of case group was 33.53±9.43 years,and the mean age of control group was 34.38±8.01 years.There were no significant differences between the two groups in term of age(t=0.087,P=0.931)and gender(?~2=0.002,P=0.967).The expression of lncRNA GAS5 in AS patients was lower than that in healthy controls(Z=-4.846,P<0.001);there was no significant difference in the expression of MEG3 between AS patients and controls(Z=-1.038,P=0.299).The expression of LC3and Beclin1 in AS patients was lower than those in controls(Z=-4.736,P<0.001;Z=-2.999,P=0.003).Plasma levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were not statistically different between the AS patients and controls(Z=-1.286,P=0.199;Z=-1.337,P=0.181).The expression of lncRNA GAS5 in AS patients was positively correlated with the expression of LC3 and Beclin1(r_s=0.583,P<0.001;r_s=0.290,P=0.041);the expression of lncRNA MEG3 was positively correlated with the expression of LC3(r_s=0.375,P=0.007).No correlation was found between the expression of lncRNA MEG3 and Beclin1(r_s=0.199,P=0.165).In AS patients,the expression of Beclin1 was positively correlated with the expression of IL-23(r_s=0.288,P=0.043).There was a negative correlation between the expression of lncRNA MEG3 and the course of disease in AS patients(r_s=-0.297,P=0.036),but no statistical correlation between the expression of other cytokines and ESR,CRP,BASFI,BASDAI,or course of disease was found.(P>0.05).Conclusions:The expression of lncRNA GAS5,autophagy-related genes LC3 and Beclin1 in PBMCs of AS patients were decreased.And in AS patients,the expression of lncRNA GAS5 was positively correlated with the expression of LC3 and Beclin1,the expression of lncRNA MEG3 was positively correlated with the expression of LC3.These results suggest that lncRNA GAS5 and lncRNA MEG3 may participate in the onset and progression of AS through inhibiting autophagy levels. |
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