Unique microRNA profile in Dupuytren's contracture supports deregulation of β-catenin pathway

Dupuytren's contracture, a proliferative disease of unknown origin, is characterized by an abnormal fibroblast proliferation process. Evidence from numerous microRNA (miRNA) studies shows that miRNAs have a vital function in many biological processes, for instance, in cellular signaling networks, cell growth, tissue differentiation, and cell proliferation. Our aim was to characterize, to our knowledge for the first time, the miRNA-expression profile of Dupuytren's contracture. The miRNAs identified may have a function in the pathogenesis of Dupuytren's contracture by targeting and regulating important pathways. We compared the miRNA-expression profile of 29 Dupuytren's contracture patients with that of control samples (fibroblast cells and palmar fascia). Some of the miRNAs identified in our Dupuytren's contracture samples, including miR-29c, miR-130b, miR-101, miR-30b, and miR-140-3p, were found to regulate important genes related to the beta-catenin pathway: WNT5A, ZIC1, and TGFB1. Expression profiles of these genes reanalyzed from published gene-expression data from similar patient material correlated with our miRNA results. Analysis was also performed for groups of patients with recurrent/non-recurrent and patients with hereditary/non-hereditary Dupuytren's contracture, but no significant differences appeared in miRNA-expression profiles of these groups. Identification of unique miRNA expression in Dupuytren's contracture may lead to the development of novel molecular therapy for its treatment. Modern Pathology (2010) 23, 1544-1552; doi:10.1038/modpathol.2010.146; published online 30 July 2010