Evaluation of serum microRNA-30e-5p expression in systemic lupus erythematosus and its association with clinical manifestations: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. Accumulating evidence indicates that the miR-30 family takes part in the development of multiple tissues and organs, and is a potential contributor to various diseases, including autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of miR-30e-5p, a member of the miR-30 family, and investigate its potential relationship to clinical characteristics and possible disease activity in an Egyptian SLE cohort. Methods Serum samples from 40 SLE patients and 37 age and gender matched healthy subjects were tested for miR-30e-5p expression level using the Taqman quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Analysis was performed using the 2 − ΔΔCT method. Results The mean age of the patients was 28.7 ± 7.9 years, with a mean disease duration of 6.4 ± 5.3 years. The median fold change in serum miR-30e-5p among our SLE cohort was significantly higher 1.748 (0.223–20.485) compared to the control group 0.877 (0.058–3.522) (P = 0.02). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that miR-30e-5p expression level can discriminate SLE patients from controls at a cut-off value ≥1.06 with the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.676 (95% CI: 0.559–0.794, P = 0.02), with 64.3% sensitivity and 61.5% specificity. There was no correlation between any of the demographic features, clinical manifestations (apart from serositis, P = 0.013) or disease activity and miR-30e-5p levels. Conclusion Our study demonstrated elevated miR-30e-5p expression levels in serum samples of SLE patients. Apart from serositis, it was not associated with any other disease characteristics.