Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) widely participate in human diseases by regulating gene transcription, modulating protein function, or acting as ceRNAs. Yet, their roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain obscure. In this study, the expression of three lncRNAs (H19, GAS5, and linc0597) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected in 77 RA patients and 78 controls using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The association of lncRNAs related gene polymorphisms with RA were evaluated in 828 RA patients and 780 controls using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assays. We observed that the expression levels of H19, GAS5 and linc0597 were down-regulated in PBMCs of RA patients, of which GAS5 level decreased in patients with hypocomplementemia, and negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) level in RA patients. Moreover, we highlighted two related potential functional SNPs, GAS5 rs6790 and linc0597 rs2680700 for associations with RA susceptibility. The precise roles of these lncRNAs in mechanism of RA remain to be further explored.
Keywords: Long noncoding RNAs; Rheumatoid arthritis; Single nucleotide polymorphisms.