Background/Aims: A reduced prevalence of circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs)is a hallmark of inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the underlying mechanisms of alterations of Tregs are unclear. Methods: The ratio of Tregs in peripheral blood of healthy controls (HCs) and patients with RA was determined by flow cytometry. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in exosomes derived from RA patients (RA-exosomes) and in those from HCs (HC-exosomes) were detected by microarray analysis, and miR-17 was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Transforming growth factor beta receptor II (TGFBR II) expressed by T cells was measured by flow cytometry. The interaction between miR-17 and TGFBR II was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: We found that RA-exosomes can selectively affect Treg differentiation in vitro. Several miRNAs are more abundant in the RA-exosomes than in HC-exosomes. Among those upregulated in patients with RA, miR-17 can suppress Treg induction by inhibiting the expression of TGFBR II. Conclusion: Our findings imply that altered miRNA expression in RA-exosomes may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA by disrupting the homeostasis of Tregs.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systematic autoimmune disease. Current methods of diagnosing SLE or evaluating its activity are complex and expensive. Numerous studies have suggested that neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio (NLR) is closely correlated with the presence of SLE and its activity, suggesting that it may serve as a diagnostic and monitoring indicator for SLE. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the association between NLR and SLE. We performed a literature search until 12 April 2019 in the PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Cross-sectional studies comparing the NLR of SLE patients versus those of healthy controls, of active versus inactive SLE patients, and of SLE patients with versus without lupus nephritis were considered for inclusion. Mean intergroup NLR differences were estimated using standardized mean differences and their 95% confidence intervals. Study quality was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality instrument for cross-sectional studies. Fourteen studies with 1,781 SLE patients and 1,330 healthy controls were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that the NLR was significantly higher in SLE patients than in healthy controls, in active SLE patients than in inactive SLE patients, and in SLE patients with lupus nephritis than in those without lupus nephritis. NLR may be an indicator for monitoring disease activity and reflecting renal involvement in SLE patients. Nevertheless, more high-quality studies are warranted to further validate our findings.
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