Cardiometabolic and Renal Risk Research Group, INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Avd. Menéndez Pelayo, acceso 4, Valencia 46010, Spain.
Genomic and Genetic Diagnosis Unit, INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Avd. Menéndez Pelayo, acceso 4, Valencia 46010, Spain.
Clin Sci (Lond). 2019 May 7;133(9):1049-1052. doi: 10.1042/CS20180826. Print 2019 May 15.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by acting as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and modulating gene transcription. Several studies support the implication of circRNAs in a variety of human diseases, but research on the role of circRNAs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is lacking. In a study recently published in Clinical Science (2018), Zhang et al. identified hsa_circ_0012919 as a potential biomarker of disease activity in SLE patients. The authors observed different circRNA expression between SLE patients and healthy controls, an association with clinical variables and with the abnormal DNA methylation present in SLE CD4 T cells. Finally, Zhang et al. demonstrated that hsa_circ_0012919 acts as a miRNA sponge for miR-125a-3p, regulating the gene expression of targets RANTES and KLF13 that are involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of acute and chronic inflammatory processes. These findings support the role of circRNAs in the pathophysiology of SLE.
环状 RNA（circRNAs）是一类非编码 RNA，通过作为竞争性内源性 RNA（ceRNAs）并调节基因转录来调节基因表达。有几项研究支持 circRNAs 参与多种人类疾病，但关于 circRNAs 在系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）中的作用的研究尚缺乏。在最近发表在《临床科学》（2018 年）上的一项研究中，Zhang 等人鉴定出 hsa_circ_0012919 是 SLE 患者疾病活动的潜在生物标志物。作者观察到 SLE 患者和健康对照组之间的 circRNA 表达不同，与临床变量以及 SLE CD4 T 细胞中存在的异常 DNA 甲基化有关。最后，Zhang 等人证明 hsa_circ_0012919 作为 miR-125a-3p 的 miRNA 海绵，调节涉及急性和慢性炎症过程生理和病理生理学的靶基因 RANTES 和 KLF13 的表达。这些发现支持 circRNAs 在 SLE 病理生理学中的作用。
