Altered microRNAs expression in T cells of patients with SLE involved in the lack of vitamin D

// Dao-Jun Chen 1, 2 , Lan-Ju Li 1, 2 , Xiao-Ke Yang 1, 2 , Tao Yu 1, 2 , Rui-Xue Leng 1, 2 , Hai-Feng Pan 1, 2 and Dong-Qing Ye 1, 2 1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China 2 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Hefei, Anhui, China Correspondence to: Dong-Qing Ye, email: ydqahmu@gmail.com , ydq@ahmu.edu.cn Keywords: microRNA, vitamin D, SLE, T cells Received: August 15, 2016 Accepted: May 31, 2017 Published: July 07, 2017 ABSTRACT Vitamin D has been recognized as a potent immunomodulator and its deficiency is common in different population groups including patients with SLE. As miRNAs regulation plays a significant role in SLE, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and miRNAs levels in patients with SLE. The serum concentrations of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) and the levels of six miRNAs in T cells from patients with SLE were measured in 42 SLE cases and 48 healthy controls. Vitamin D treatment was also performed in isolated and cultured T cells from SLE patients in different times and doses. Vitamin D insufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration