MicroRNA expression profiles in early mycosis fungoides

Objective To screen microRNAs (miRNAs) related to early mycosis fungoides (MF) . Methods A high-throughput miRNA PCR array was used to determine miRNA expression profiles in skin lesions of 6 patients with early MF (early MF group) and 6 patients with lichen planus (control group) , followed by screening of differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups. Then, real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to verify the differentially expressed miRNAs in lesional specimens from 13 patients with early MF and 13 patients with eczema or lichen planus, as well as in Myla cells and normal human T-lymphocytes. Results The high-throughput miRNA PCR array showed that the expressions of hsa-miR-378a-5p, hsa-miR-107 and hsa-miR-302c-3p were significantly higher in the early MF group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). For skin lesions, the results from RT-qPCR were similar to those from the miRNA array assay. Compared with normal human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, Myla cells showed significantly increased expressions of hsa-miR-378a-5p and hsa-miR-107, which was consistent with the results from the miRNA array assay. However, no significant difference was observed in the expression of hsa-miR-302c-3p between the two kinds of cells. Conclusion MiRNA expression profiles in early MF are different from those in inflammatory skin diseases. Key words: MicroRNAs; Microchip analytical procedures; Gene expression; Mycosis fungoides