Increasing evidence has uncovered the essential roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in biological and pathological functions of dendritic cells (DCs) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, whether lncRNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) could modulate DCs, especially in the inflammation of SLE, remains largely unknown. Fifteen SLE patients and fifteen age-matched healthy controls were included, and their monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) were cultured in vitro. Our research identified that the expression of NEAT1 was significantly increased in moDCs of SLE patients and positively correlated with disease activity. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) from both plasma and secreted supernatants of moDCs was also elevated in the SLE group. In addition, regulation of NEAT1 in moDCs by transfection could lead to the corresponding change in IL-6 generation. While for miR-365a-3p, a micro-RNA that can bind with the 3' UTR region of IL6 and NEAT1, it may serve as a negative modulator since its overexpression could result in the reduction of IL-6 levels and vice versa. Additionally, the elevation in NEAT1 expression could increase the secretion of IL-6 by specifically binding to miR-365a-3p, reducing the negative modulatory effects of miR-365a-3p on the IL6 target gene, which suggested that elevated NEAT1 expression could function as the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). In conclusion, our findings indicate that NEAT1 can efficiently sponge miR-365a-3p to upregulate expression and secretion of IL-6 in moDCs, suggesting that the NEAT1/miR-365a-3p/IL6 axis may be involved in the development of SLE disease.
Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus; ceRNA; inflammation; interleukin 6; long non-coding RNA; monocyte-derived dendritic cells.