Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a persistent, progressive autoimmune disorder driven by the complex interplay between immune cells and proinflammatory cytokines, leading to reduced lifespans and increased mortality rates. The principal goal of this case-control study was to explore the potential of microRNA-146a (miRNA-146a) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as prognostic markers in RA patients. The study involved 50 RA patients taken from the Rheumatology unit at Marjan Hospital (Babylon) and 50 normal controls. Blood was collected from all patients and controls. Serum levels of TNF-α were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect the miRNA-146a. The study found that women have a higher incidence of RA than men. The incidence was highest among patient’s aged from15–60 years, with the greatest proportion being patients with disease duration of 1–3 years. Serum TNF-α level in the RA patients were significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.0001). Importantly, patients with stage IV rheumatoid arthritis showed a considerable high TNF-α level (p<0.0001). In conclusion, the results indicated that TNF-α plays a central role in RA chronic inflammation and miRNA-146a has potential as an indicator of disease progression and a novel therapeutic target for treating cytokine-mediated inflammation in RA.

Keywords: TNF-α, miRNA-146a, RA, RT-PCR.

Date received: 24 December 2025; accepted: 05 March 2026

PMID:
41966503