LncRNA in labial salivary glands of Sjogren's syndrome patients

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16210
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Collagenous pathology/Allergology
• Research Institution: Department of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization Nagasaki Medical Center
• Principal Investigator: HORAI Yoshiro 独立行政法人国立病院機構(長崎医療センター臨床研究センター), 臨床研究センター, 自己免疫研究室長 (30646782)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: シェーグレン症候群 / long non-coding RNA / NRON / NFATc1 / PIM-1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The expressions of NRON and related substances were examined by in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemical analysis and immunofluorescence in labial salivary glands (LSGs) obtained from patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and control subjects. The NRON expression in the nuclei of cell infiltration lesions of the SS patients were prominent. The NFATc1 expression was strong in the cytoplasm of infiltrating mononuclear cells and weak in ducts of both SS and controls. In SS, the NFATc1-positive area/infiltrating cell area was positively correlated with the infiltrating cell area and focus score. CD3/CD4 was expressed in infiltrating mononuclear cells, and PIM-1 colocalised with NFATc1 in the cytoplasm. These results suggest NRON along with NFATc1/PIM-1 in SS LSGs might participates in SS pathophysiology.

Free Research Field

リウマチ・膠原病内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

LncRNAの発現及び機能解析は自己免疫疾患を含めた様々な病態に対する特異的な治療法に直結することが期待されている。本研究はSSの病変主座である小唾液腺におけるlncRNAと関連分子の局在を含めた発現解析、及びそれらの病態への関与を示す最初の報告であるため、今回の成果はSSにおける疾患特異的治療ターゲットの同定につながることが期待される。