Identification of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network to explore the effects of circRNAs on renal injury in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. At present, the mechanism of non-coding RNA in renal injury in SLE patients is still unclear. A total of 64 DEcircRNAs, 75 DEmiRNAs, and 249 DEmRNAs were identified. We integrated 10 circRNAs, 10 miRNAs, and 88 target mRNAs into a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network and obtained 9 hub genes (circ-0000006, miR-766-3p, miR-409-3p, miR-339-3p, miR-331-3p, miR-140-3p, miR-186-5p, miR-149-5p, PSME3). The ROC curve results showed that the diagnostic efficiency of 6 hub miRNA was higher than that of has_circ_0000006 and PSEME3. SsGSEA analysis revealed immune cell composition in SLE and control renal tissues, including 3 types of immune cells up-regulated (gamma delta T cell, effector memory CD4 T cell, central memory CD8 T cell) and 4 types down-regulated (memory B cell, mast cell, macrophage, immature dendritic cell, eosinophil) in SLE patients. In addition, PSME3 was negatively correlated with 3 up-regulated immune cells and positively correlated with 4 down-regulated immune cells in SLE patients. Our study provides a deeper understanding of the circRNA-related competing endogenous RNA regulatory mechanism in the renal injury of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Keywords:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• renal injury
• circRNA
• competitive endogenous RNA

Acknowledgment

Thanks to all the members who participated in this study.

Author contributions

L Y and C J were responsible for the analysis of the experimental data, and the writing and revision of the manuscript. M X and YH C participated in the collection and analysis of experimental data, Y Z and RX Z designed and managed the study, and all authors revised and agreed to this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Informed consent and patient details

Not applicable.

Submission declaration and verification

This manuscript has not been published previously.

Additional information

Funding

This work and the support of the following funds: Intra-Hospital Doctoral Fund (KHBS-2022-027); National Natural Science Foundation of China Regional Funds (82060305, 82160696).