<p>MicroRNA And Circular RNA Expression In Affected Skin Of Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia</p>

Abstract

Mechanisms of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) are still not clear. Transcripts such as microRNA (miRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) in the affected skin may take part in the initiation and development of this neuropathic pain; however, their expression profiles in skins of PHN patients have not been reported. The PHN affected skin and the mirror skin were collected and subjected to miRNA and circRNA microarray, and expression profiles were comparatively analyzed. There were 317 differently expressed miRNAs in PHN affected skin compared with mirror skin (fold change ≥2.0), and 13 of them showed fold change >10 in the PHN skin. Only one circRNA, hsa_circRNA_405463 showed fold change >2 in PHN skin, however, 31 circRNAs with fold change ≥1.5. To evaluate functions of differential miRNAs, their target mRNAs were predicted and bioinformatics analyses including gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway were conducted. Target mRNAs significantly (P<0.05) enriched in 85 pathways, such as FoxO, AMPK, MAPK and pathway. These data reported for the first time that miRNA and circRNA differentially expressed in the PHN skin and these transcripts with abnormal expression could be potential targets to treat PHN.

Cutaneous Neuroimmune Interactions in Peripheral Neuropathic Pain States

“…Their aberrant expression has been implicated in several disease states (181). Differential profiles of miRNA and circRNA expression in PHN skin compared to unaffected skin has been reported (Figure 4) (182). Whether the differential miRNAs and circRNAs were located within nerve endings, skin immune cells or extracellular space is unclear.…”

Bioinformatics Analysis of Genes and Mechanisms in Postherpetic Neuralgia

“…Furthermore, Guedon successfully constructed a rat model of PHN using Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and found several DEGs in DRG sequencing data, including the abnormal expression of CGRP and TRPV1 [ 15 ]. Another lab found several abnormally expressed miRNAs and circRNAs in the skin lesions of patients with PHN [ 16 ]. However, these data still need additional clinical interpretation.…”

Inflammatory cytokine expression in the skin of patients with postherpetic neuralgia

“…In addition, pathological molecular changes in the affected skin of PHN patients could be a reason for a decrease in IL-1α expression because mRNA and circular RNA expression was abnormal in PHN skin. 14 A mutual influence exists among these non-coding RNAs 29 and they potently regulate gene expression. 30 – 32 If IL-1α is one of their target genes, its expression could be regulated by differentially expressed regulatory RNAs.…”

“…Skin was sampled as previously reported. 14 Patients lay prone on an operating table. Following local anesthesia with 1% lidocaine at the lesion site and the mirror site (symmetrical site to the affected skin), skin samples were collected with biopsy punchers (OD = 2 mm).…”

“… 11 – 13 However, the role of inflammation in PHN skin has not been well studied. We detected abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs in PHN skin, and found that the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in the FoxO, AMPK and MAPK pathways; 14 these pathways are associated with inflammation under pathological conditions. 15 – 18 To the best of our knowledge, only one study has evaluated inflammatory factors in PHN skin 19 by assessing expression of selected pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, and IL-8) using PCR.…”