Abnormal expression and function of microRNA-203 have been linked to various autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. In a new study, researchers investigated microRNA-203 as a potential biomarker for lupus nephritis (LN) and found that expression might be associated with nephritis manifestations in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MicroRNA is a specific fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA) – a molecule responsible for coding, decoding, regulating and expressing genes – that has been found to trigger the production of self-attacking white blood cells and inflammation. MicroRNA-203 has been associated with the development of nephritis in SLE patients.

The observational, cross-sectional study included 40 participants divided into two groups – 20 with SLE and 20 with LN. Researchers collected blood samples from each study participant. The samples were analyzed to measure microRNA 203 expression in which researchers found a significant difference in microRNA levels between the two groups. The concentration of miRNA-203 in the SLE group was 1.66 and 5.18 in the LN group, suggesting its association with nephritis and indicating its potential as an LN biomarker. Additionally, researchers found a positive correlation between microRNA-203 expression and disease activity in LN patients, suggesting that higher levels of microRNA-203 are associated with increased disease severity. This finding indicates that microRNA-203 could serve as a non-invasive biomarker for early detection and monitoring of LN progression.

While the research suggests that microRNA-203 may be associated with risk of LN, further research is necessary. Learn more about lupus nephritis. 

Read the study