Three key genes expression profiling in Egyptian rheumatoid arthritis patients |
The Egyptian Journal of Immunology Volume 29 (3), July, 2022 Pages: 19–28. www.Ejimmunology.org https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.290303 |
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| Mai M. Abdelnaby1, Dahlia I. Badran2, Maha M. Anani3, Asmaa A. Hashem4, Nermeen H. A. Moneim1, Raghda E. Eldesouki5, Samah H. Elmedany6 and Marwa M. Hosny2,7
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1Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
2Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
3Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
4Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
5Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
6Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology & Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
7Oncology Diagnostic Unit lab, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
| Corresponding author:Marwa M. Hosny, Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Oncology Diagnostic Unit lab, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. Email: marwahosny@med.suez.edu.eg. |
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multi-system autoimmune disease with synovial joints involvement. The triad of autoimmunity, genetics, and environment is the key player in RA pathogenesis. We intended to investigate gene expression of C-C Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2), protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22), and Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) in RA patients versus controls, and its correlation with the activity of the disease. The relative expression of PTPN22, CTLA-4, and CCL2 in the peripheral blood of 59 RA patients and 50 controls was determined using RT-PCR. There was a significantly higher median (inter-quartile range) expression of CTLA-4 and CCL2 in RA patients in comparison to controls (P<0.05). However, in RA patients, PTPN22 expression was significantly lower than in controls (P=0.0001). A weak significant correlation was detected between PTPN22 and either CTLA-4 or CCL2. Also, on comparing RA patients with moderate to severe disease activity versus those who have a mild disease activity, CCL2 was significantly over-expressed (P > 0.05). Thus, in Egyptian RA patients, there was a significant PTPN22 down-expression and greater expression of CTLA-4 and CCL2. Moreover, over-expression of CCL2 in RA patients with moderate-to-severe disease activity was significant. We conclude that these three key genes could become useful diagnostic markers for RA and CCL2 expression as a good prognostic tool for RA disease activity.
Keywords: Rheumatoid Arthritis, PTPN22, CTLA-4, CCL2
Date received: 23 January 2022; accepted: 25 April 2022
PMID: 35758965
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