Circulating miR-193b-3p and miR-376a-3p Involved in Iranian Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that are usually 18-24 nucleotides long, which may have a pivotal role in the expansion of many complex diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the transcript levels of miR-193b-3p and miR-376a-3p in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. In this case-control study, miR-193b-3p and miR-376a-3p expression in 60 RRMS patients, of which 30 were recurring patients and 30 were two months after relapse patients, and 30 healthy subjects were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using real-time PCR reaction. Our results showed that the expression of miR-193b-3p was significantly reduced in recurring patients and two months after relapse patients in comparison with healthy subjects (P < 0.004 and P < 0.0001, respectively). In contrast, miR-376a-3p showed an increased expression in recurring patients and two months after relapse patients (P < 0.0001). Based on the findings, it can be assumed that miR-193b-3p and miR-376a-3p may be prospective biomarkers with the potential use for diagnosis of RRMS patients.