miRNAs as attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets for Familial Mediterranean Fever

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary early-onset disease that causes periodical fever attack, excessive release of IL-1β, serositis, arthritis and peritonitis. Genetic analyses conducted on FMF patients (mutated and non-mutated) have highlighted that additional contributing factors such as epigenetics and environment play a role in clinical manifestations of FMF. Recently researchers report that microRNAs (miRNAs), implicated in epigenetic mechanisms, may contribute to the pathogenesis of FMF. miRNAs, a member of the captivating noncoding RNA family, are the single-strand transcripts that work in physiological and pathophysiological processes by regulating target gene expression. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs are associated with various mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of FMF, such as apoptosis, inflammation and autophagy. Moreover, these miRNAs molecules might have potential use in treatment, therapeutic response monitoring and the diagnosis of subtypes of the disease in the future. Motivated by these potential benefits (diagnostic and therapeutic) of miRNAs, we focus on recent advances of clinical significances and potential action mechanisms of miRNAs in FMF pathogenesis and discuss their potential use for FMF.

Keywords:

• Familial Mediterranean Fever
• MEFV
• miRNA
• Pyrin

Acknowledgements

The figure of the present study was created with Biorender.

Author contributions

H.M.O. and M.A.B. designed the study. H.M.O. and M.A.B. wrote, drafted and edited the manuscript. H.M.O. and M.A.B. prepared tables/figures and revised the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest

None.