Analysis of microRNAs in familial Mediterranean fever

Objectives Although Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is categorized as autosomal recessive, frequent exceptions to this model exist and therefore we aimed to search epigenetic modifications in this disease. Methods Ten M694V homozygous FMF patients (the most severe phenotype) were recruited for this study. Patients with inflammatory flare were excluded. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood, and microRNA expression profiled using NanoString nCounter technology. These patients were compared to 10 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Results Seven hundred nighty-eight mature human miRNAs were probed, 103 of which had expression levels above the negative control probes. Seven miRNAs showed significant differences in expression in samples from FMF patients compared to healthy controls: four miRNAs were upregulated (miR-144-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-4454, and miR-451a), and three were downregulated (miR-107, let-7d-5p, and miR-148b-3p). Conclusion In this pilot study, we identified epigenetic modifications in clinically quiescent FMF patients. More studies are required for exploration of their contribution to FMF pathogenesis and their potential role as clinical biomarkers.