MicroRNA-125b regulates Th17/Treg cell differentiation and is associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

• Published in: World journal of pediatrics : WJP 2020-02, Vol.16 (1), p.99-110
• Main Authors: Fan, Zhi-Dan, Cao, Qian, Huang, Na, Ma, Le, Ma, Hui-Hui, Zhang, Ya-Yuan, Yu, Hai-Guo, Zhou, Guo-Ping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Critical Care Medicine; Imaging; Intensive; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Radiology; Surgery
• ISSN: 1708-8569; 1867-0687
• DOI: 10.1007/s12519-019-00265-z

Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in childhood driven by aberrant pathways of T-cell activation. T helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg) imbalance plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of arthritis. MicroRNA-125b (miR-125b) was upregulated after the activation of the initial CD4 + T cells, and could regulate the differentiation of CD4 + T cells. However, the effects of miR-125b on Th17/Treg imbalance and differentiation of Th17/Treg cells remain unknown. Methods In this study, we evaluated the expression of miR-125b in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of children with JIA, and the relationship of miR-125b with Th17/Treg imbalance. Then, we used lentivirus vector-mediated overexpression technology to investigate the regulatory function of miR-125b in CD4 + T cells or dendritic cell/CD4 + T co-culture system. Results Decreased miR-125b expression in PBMCs and CD4 + T cells of JIA patients was negatively correlated with the ratio of Th17/Treg cells. It also correlated negatively with retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt but positively with Forkhead box protein 3 at transcriptional levels. Furthermore, we found that miR-125b overexpression inhibited Th17 cell differentiation, whereas facilitated the differentiation of Treg cells. MiR-125b upregulation led to the decrease of Th17-secreting cytokines but the increase of the Treg-secreting cytokines. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that miR-125b participated in regulating Th17/Treg cell differentiation and imbalance in JIA patients. These findings provide novel insight into the critical role of miR-125b in the Th17/Treg imbalance of JIA, and raise the distinct possibility that miR-125b may prove to be a potential therapeutic target for JIA.