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Zhang M, Jie H, Wu Y, Han X, Li X, He Y, Shi X, Luo Y, Sun Y, Yang J, Yang J, Quan S, Lao X, Tan L, Sun E. Increased MLKL mRNA level in the PBMCs is correlated with autoantibody production, renal involvement, and SLE disease activity. Arthritis Res Ther 2020; 22:239. [PMID: 33054864 PMCID: PMC7557011 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-02332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Necroptosis is a form of regulated necrosis that is involved in various autoimmune diseases. Mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) has been identified as a key executor of necroptosis; however, the significance of MLKL in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been investigated. In this study, we aimed to determine the mRNA level of MLKL in PBMCs and examine its relationship with clinical features and serological parameters in SLE. Methods Real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to determine the expression of MLKL mRNA in PBMCs from 59 patients with SLE, 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Spearman’s correlation test was performed to assess the correlation of MLKL mRNA with clinical variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was created to evaluate the diagnostic value. Results Our results showed MLKL mRNA in PBMCs was upregulated in SLE patients compared to that in RA and HC individuals. SLE patients positive for antinuclear antibodies had significantly higher MLKL mRNA than antibody-negative patients. In SLE patients, MLKL mRNA was found to be upregulated in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) as compared with patients without LN, and also higher in active patients than in stable patients. MLKL mRNA level was significantly and positively correlated with c-reaction protein (CRP) (r = 0.3577, p = 0.0237), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.4091, p = 0.0043), serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration (r = 0.3546, p = 0.0289), and the numbers of positive antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) (r = 0.3945, p = 0.0432). ROC analysis showed that MLKL mRNA in PBMCs had an area under the curve of 0.9277 (95% CI 0.8779–0.9775, p < 0.001) to discriminate SLE from controls. Conclusions These results suggest that increased MLKL mRNA level in the PBMCs of SLE patients is correlated with renal involvement and disease activity, identifying a subgroup of patients with SLE or LN who may benefit from early diagnosis and therapies targeting MLKL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjiao Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongyu Jie
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinai Han
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi He
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingliang Shi
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuwei Luo
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinlong Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shulv Quan
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaobin Lao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liping Tan
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Erwei Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bone and Joint Degeneration Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. .,Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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