First report of circulating microRNAs in tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS)

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 16;8(9):e73443. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073443. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor-receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) is a rare autosomal dominant autoinflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of long-lasting fever and inflammation in different regions of the body, such as the musculo-skeletal system, skin, gastrointestinal tract, serosal membranes and eye. Our aims were to evaluate circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) levels in patients with TRAPS, in comparison to controls without inflammatory diseases, and to correlate their levels with parameters of disease activity and/or disease severity. Expression levels of circulating miRNAs were measured by Agilent microarrays in 29 serum samples from 15 TRAPS patients carrying mutations known to be associated with high disease penetrance and from 8 controls without inflammatory diseases. Differentially expressed and clinically relevant miRNAs were detected using GeneSpring GX software. We identified a 6 miRNAs signature able to discriminate TRAPS from controls. Moreover, 4 miRNAs were differentially expressed between patients treated with the interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra, and untreated patients. Of these, miR-92a-3p and miR-150-3p expression was found to be significantly reduced in untreated patients, while their expression levels were similar to controls in samples obtained during anakinra treatment. MiR-92b levels were inversely correlated with the number of fever attacks/year during the 1(st) year from the index attack of TRAPS, while miR-377-5p levels were positively correlated with serum amyloid A (SAA) circulating levels. Our data suggest that serum miRNA levels show a baseline pattern in TRAPS, and may serve as potential markers of response to therapeutic intervention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Fever
  • Hereditary Autoinflammatory Diseases / drug therapy
  • Hereditary Autoinflammatory Diseases / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / genetics

Substances

  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein
  • MicroRNAs
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I

Supplementary concepts

  • Periodic fever, familial, autosomal dominant

Grants and funding

This work was supported by funding from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro to M.F. (MFAG11676). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.