VTRNA2-1在系统性红斑狼疮患者B细胞中的高表达及其意义

High expression of VTRNA2-1 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients’ B lymphocytes and its significance

目的:检测系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erythematosus,SLE)患者中T和B淋巴细胞中穹窿核糖核酸2-1(vault ribonucleic acid 2-1,VTRNA2-1)基因的表达水平,初步探索SLE的发病机制。方法:收集25例健康对照者和32例SLE患者的外周血CD4^+T淋巴细胞,另外再收集62例SLE患者(其中活动性SLE患者47例,非活动性患者15例)和29例健康对照者的外周血CD19^+B淋巴细胞,采用real-time PCR检测VTRNA2-1基因的表达水平。采用免疫共沉淀实验寻找VTRNA2-1的直接作用蛋白。结果:通过对SLE患者和健康对照者外周血T细胞和B细胞中的VTRNA2-1基因进行检测,发现SLE患者T细胞中的VTRNA2-1基因表达水平与健康对照者相比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。活动性和非活动性的SLE患者外周血B细胞中的VTRNA2-1基因表达水平与健康对照者相比均显著增高,差异均有统计学意义(分别P<0.01和P<0.05)。免疫共沉淀实验证实VTRNA2-1通过与蛋白激酶R(protein kinase R,PKR)特异性结合而发挥生物学功能。结论:VTRNA2-1基因在SLE患者的B细胞中呈高表达,其机制可能是通过调控PKR而发挥生物学功能。

Objective: To investigate the expression of vault ribonucleic acid 2-1(VTRNA2-1) in T or B lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) from the perspective of epigenetic non-coding RNA, and to explore the preliminary pathogenesis of SLE.Methods: CD4^+T lymphocytes from peripheral blood in 25 healthy controls and 32 SLE patients, CD19^+B lymphocytes from peripheral blood in 62 SLE patients(47 patients were active SLE and 15 patients were inactive) and 29 healthy controls were collected, and the expression levels of VTRNA2-1 were detected by real-time PCR. Co-immunoprecipitation assay was used to explore the direct-acting proteins of VTRNA2-1.Results: Through the detection of VTRNA2-1 in peripheral blood T cells and B cells in the SLE patients and healthy controls, we have found that there was no significant difference in the expression of VTRNA2-1 in T cells between the SLE patients and the healthy controls(P>0.05). The expression of VTRNA2-1 in B cells in the active and inactive SLE patients was both higher than that in the healthy controls, with significant difference(P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Co-immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that VTRNA2-1 exerted its biological function via specific binding with protein kinase R(PKR).Conclusion: VTRNA2-1 is highly expressed in B cells in the SLE patients, which may play a biological role by regulating PKR.