Circulating MicroRNA-29b Expression as A Possible Prognostic Marker for Therapy Response in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Abstract

Background:    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control the expression of targeted gene post-transcriptionally. Collecting evidences supports that miRNA dysregulation is related to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases.
Objective:    To assess the levels of microRNA-29b (miR-29b) as indicator of interferon beta and natalizumab therapy effectiveness in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Methods:    One hundred and twenty blood samples were taken from patients at the MS Center in the Baghdad Medical City, during the period February to September, 2021. First sixty patients getting natalizumab (30 responders and 30 non-responders) and, the other sixty patients getting interferon beta (IFN-) (30 responders and 30 non-responders). As well as, thirty normal volunteers were included in this study as control group. IFN- and Natalizumab antibodies (Abs) were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). On the other hand, Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was used to assess the levels of miR-29b in blood samples of patients.
Results:    The concurrence of anti-IFN Abs in non-responder, responder MS patients and healthy control was (26, 16, 5) respectively. In addition, a high frequency of anti-natalizumab Abs in patients was found. The number of seropositive natalizumab Abs cases among the non-responder group, responder and healthy control was (5, 0, 0) respectively. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in microRNA-29b expression in patients’ group with a median equal to 25584.00 compared to the control group (22476.50). The relation between the seropositivity of anti-IFN Abs and the level of microRNA-29b in IFN- treated MS patients was highly significant with P value (<0.001). The study also showed a highly significant relation between the presence of anti-Natalizumab Abs and the level of miR-29b among Natalizumab-treated MS patients group (P value <0.001).
Conclusion:    The levels of miR-29b in the serum of the MS patients could be used as an informative indicator for the bioactivity of IFN-β and natalizumab treatment.
Keywords:    Interferon-β, multiple Sclerosis, microRNA-29b, Natalizumab
Citation:    Mohammed HA, Abbas AA, Shaheed NM. Circulating microRNA-29b expression as a possible prognostic marker for therapy response in multiple sclerosis patients. Iraqi JMS. 2025; 23(2): 303-311. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.23.2.13