Downregulation of Cancer-Associated lncRNAs in Peripheral Blood of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Recent studies have shown contribution of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of immune-related disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on the role of these transcripts in the regulation of immune response, peripheral levels of lncRNAs can reflect the level of immune activation. In the present study, we quantified expression of four lncRNAs namely SPRY4-IT1 , HOXA-AS2 , LINC-ROR , and MEG3 in venous blood of MS patients and controls using quantitative real-time PCR method. Relative expressions of SPRY4-IT1 , HOXA-AS2 , LINC-ROR , and MEG3 were significantly lower in female MS patients compared with female healthy subjects. For MEG3 , this pattern of expression was also observed in male subjects. However, for other lncRNAs, no significant difference was detected between male patients and male controls. Expression of HOXA-AS2 was correlated with progression index ( r = 0.36, P