Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 4;22(19):10737. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910737.
MicroRNAs (miRs) are non-coding small RNAs that act as epigenetic modulators to regulate the protein levels of target mRNAs without modifying the genetic sequences. The role of miRs in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN) is increasingly recognized and highly complex. Altered levels of different miRs are observed in the blood, urine and kidney tissues of murine LN models and LN patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that these miRs can modulate immune cells and various key inflammatory pathways, and their perturbations contribute to the aberrant immune response in LN. The dysregulation of miRs in different resident renal cells and urinary exosomes can also lead to abnormal renal cell proliferation, inflammation and kidney fibrosis in LN. While miRs may hold promise in various clinical applications in LN patients, there are still many potential limitations and safety concerns for their use. Further studies are worthwhile to examine the clinical utility of miRs in the diagnosis, disease activity monitoring, prognostication and treatment of LN.
微小 RNA（miRs）是一类非编码的小 RNA，作为表观遗传调节剂，通过调节靶 mRNA 的蛋白水平而不改变其遗传序列。miRs 在狼疮肾炎（LN）发病机制中的作用越来越受到重视，且非常复杂。在 LN 患者的血液、尿液和肾脏组织的小鼠 LN 模型中观察到不同 miR 的水平发生改变。越来越多的证据表明，这些 miR 可以调节免疫细胞和各种关键的炎症途径，其紊乱导致 LN 中的异常免疫反应。不同固有肾脏细胞和尿液外泌体中 miR 的失调也可能导致 LN 中肾脏细胞异常增殖、炎症和肾纤维化。虽然 miR 在 LN 患者的各种临床应用中可能具有一定的应用前景，但它们的应用仍然存在许多潜在的局限性和安全性问题。进一步的研究值得关注 miR 在 LN 的诊断、疾病活动监测、预后和治疗中的临床应用。
