LncRNA and mRNA expression associated with myasthenia gravis in patients with thymoma

Abstract

Objective Pathological alterations of the thymus are observed in the majority of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). To explore the potential mechanisms of these alterations, we performed a transcriptome analysis and measured co‐expression of aberrant long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Methods RNA was extracted from eight patients with thymoma, five of whom had MG. Transcriptome profiles were acquired through mRNA and lncRNA microarray analysis. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to verify the results of the microarray analysis. LncRNAs co‐expressed with mRNA were analyzed with Pearson's coefficient. Next, cis‐regulated and trans‐regulated target genes were predicted. The functions of aberrant lncRNAs were explored on the basis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of target mRNAs. Results The comparative microarray analysis identified 4360 lncRNAs and 2545 mRNAs with significant differential expression. The most significant GO enrichment terms were phosphoric ester hydrolase activity, phosphatase activity, and hydrolase activity, which were assigned as molecular functions. Regulation of endosome size was the most significant GO enrichment term assigned as a biological process, and Golgi apparatus was the most significant GO enrichment term assigned as cellular component. The reliability prediction terms of KEGG included calcium signaling pathway, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, and caffeine metabolism. Conclusion MG‐positive thymoma is associated with overactive biological processes and molecular functions, especially dephosphorylation and hydrolysis, which may affect thymocyte survival during selection in the thymus.

Myasthenia-like paraneoplastic syndrome with multiple cranial nerve tumor infiltration: A case report and literature review

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The intricate dance of non-coding RNAs in myasthenia gravis pathogenesis and treatment

“…In the context of TAMG, there were 3,699 upregulated lncRNAs and 661 downregulated lncRNAs identified. Notably, XLOC_006297 exhibited the highest expression, while ENSG000000218510.3 had the lowest expression levels among the identified lncRNAs ( 106 ). In a study involving 34 MG patients and 13 healthy controls, Luo et al.…”

Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Cell Fate Determination of Neoplastic Thymic Epithelial Cells

“…The downregulation of MALAT1 in MG patients suggests its involvement in the inhibition of T lymphocytes, suggesting that it could be a specific target for MG treatment. Finally, different lncRNAs are involved in the regulation of hydrolase, phosphorylase, and dephosphorylase enzyme activities, which affect the activation of T cells during selection in the thymus, promoting MG development (98).…”