Altered Expression of Long Non-Coding RNAs NEAT1, H19, and MALAT1 in Peripheral Blood ‎Cells of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis after Treatment with Pharmaceutical Combinations of ‎ Budesonide and Fexofenadine versus Fluticasone Propionate and Fexofenadine

Background and Aim: Allergic rhinitis is the most common chronic inflammatory disorder of the nasal mucosa. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are a group of non-coding RNAs involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. This study intended to evaluate the expression of long non-coding RNAs NEAT1, H19, and MALAT1 in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) before and after treatment with budesonide and fexofenadine in comparison with fluticasone propionate and fexofenadine. Materials and Methods:Blood samples were taken from 53 patients with allergic rhinitis (including 29 patients treated with budesonide and fexofenadine and 24 patients treated with fluticasone propionate and fexofenadine) before and one month after the initiation of treatment. The mRNA expression levels of NEAT1, H19, and MALAT1 were measured by the Real-Time PCR method. Results: Our results showed that mRNA expression levels of H19 and MALAT1 significantly increased after treatment with budesonide and fexofenadine (p= 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively), while mRNAs expression levels of NEAT1 and H19 significantly decreased after treatment with fluticasone propionate and fexofenadine (p= 0.014, p= 0.036, respectively). Conclusion: The combination of budesonide and fexofenadine by increasing the expression levels of MALAT1 and the combination of fluticasone propionate and fexofenadine by decreasing the expression level of NEAT1 and H19 were effective in reducing the clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis patients.