AIM

To investigate the miRNA expression in colonic mucosal biopsies from endoscopically inflamed and non inflamed regions of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.

METHODS

Colonic mucosal pinch biopsies were analyzed from the inflamed and non inflamed regions of same UC patient. Total RNA was isolated and differential miRNA profiling was done using microarray platform. Quantitative Real Time PCR was performed in colonic biopsies from inflamed (n= 8) and non-inflamed (n= 8) regions of UC and controls (n= 8) to validate the differential expression of miRNA. Potential targets of dysregulated miRNA were identified by using in silico prediction tools and probable role of these miRNA in inflammatory pathways were predicted.

RESULTS

The miRNA profile of inflamed colonic mucosa differs significantly from the non-inflamed. Real time PCR analysis showed that some of the miRNA were differentially expressed in the inflamed mucosa as compared to non inflamed mucosa and controls (miR-125b, miR-223, miR-138, and miR-155), while (miR-200a) did not show any significant changes. In contrast to microarray, where miR-378d showed downregulation in the inflamed mucosa, qRT-PCR showed a significant upregulation in the inflamed mucosa as compared to the non inflamed. The in silico prediction analysis revealed that the genes targeted by these miRNAs play role in the major signaling pathways like MAPK pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, cell adhesion molecules which are all assciated with UC.

CONCLUSION

The present study reports disease specific alteration in the expression of miR-125b, miR-155, miR-223 and miR-138 in UC patients and also predict their biological significance.