Expression Analysis of Long Noncoding RNA-MALAT1 and Interleukin-6  in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Mohsen Nemati Bajestan; Moein Piroozkhah; Vahid Chaleshi; Naser Elmi Ghiasi; Negar Jamshidi; Reza Mirfakhraie; Hedieh Balaii; Shabnam Shahrokh; Hamid Asadzadeh Aghdaei; Zahra Salehi; Ehsan Nazemalhosseini Mojarad

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v22i5.13997

Mohsen Nemati Bajestan Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Moein Piroozkhah Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Vahid Chaleshi Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Naser Elmi Ghiasi Laboratory of Biological Complex Systems and Bioinformatics (CBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Negar Jamshidi Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Reza Mirfakhraie Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hedieh Balaii Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shabnam Shahrokh Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hamid Asadzadeh Aghdaei Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Salehi Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Centre, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ehsan Nazemalhosseini Mojarad Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v22i5.13997

Keywords: Crohn disease; Gene regulatory networks; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Interleukin-6; MALAT1 long non-coding RNA, human; Ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) manifests as chronic inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. The study focuses on a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) known as Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1). MALAT1's misregulation has been linked with various autoimmune diseases and regulates proinflammatory cytokines. The role of IL6 in immune-triggered conditions, including IBD, is another focal point. In this research, the expression of MALAT1 and IL6 in IBD patients was meticulously analyzed to uncover potential interactions.

The study involved 33 IBD patients (13 with Crohn's disease and 20 with ulcerative colitis) and 20 healthy counterparts. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction determined the MALAT1 and IL6 gene expression levels. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed using several tools, including LncRRIsearch and Cytoscape. A deep dive into the Inflammatory Bowel Disease database was undertaken to understand IL6's role in IBD. Drugs potentially targeting these genes were also pinpointed using DGIdb.

Results indicated a notable elevation in the expression levels of MALAT1 and IL6 in IBD patients versus healthy controls. MALAT1 and IL6 did not show a direct linear correlation, but IL6

could serve as MALAT1's target. Analyses unveiled interactions between MALAT1 and IL6, regulated by hsa-miR-202-3p, hsa-miR-1-3p, and has-miR-9-5p. IL6's pivotal role in IBD-associated inflammation, likely interacting with other cytokines, was accentuated. Moreover, potential drugs like CILOBRADINE for MALAT1 and SILTUXIMAB for IL6 were identified.

This research underscored MALAT1 and IL6's potential value as targets in diagnosis and treatment for IBD patients.