MiR-155 regulates inflammatory responses and Th17/Treg imbalances in rheumatoid arthritis through the SOCS1/STAT3 pathway

ZHAN Yuhong; SHAN Xinjie; ZHOU Jun

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2024.13.005

Abstract：Objective This research aimed to investigate the expression and mechanism of miR-155 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1(SOCS1)in rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods RT-PCR and flow cytometry were applied to detect the expression differences of miR-155,Th17,and Treg cells in peripheral blood of RA patients(RA group)and control group(HC group).Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were conducted to investigate the regulatory relationship between miR-155 and SOCS1.CD4+T cells were isolated from peripheral blood of RA patients and transfected with miR-155 inhibitor,si-SOCS1,and their respective negative control sequences,and divided into four groups:miR-NC group,miR-155 inhibitor group,miR-155 inhibitor+si-NC group,and miR-155 inhibitor+si-SOCS1 group.The cells were treated with Th17-inducing differentiation medium,and flow cytometry was used to determine the ratio of Th17 cells in each group of CD4+T cells.Western blot was used to determine the ratio of p-STAT3/STAT3 in the cells.Results Compared to the HC group,RA patients showed increased expression of miR-155 and Th17 ratio(P<0.01),and decreased Treg cell ratio(P<0.01).MiR-155 could target and inhibit the expression of SOCS1.Compared to the miR-NC group,the miR-155 inhibitor group,miR-155 inhibitor+si-NC group,and miR-155 inhibitor+si-SOCS1 group showed decreased Th17 ratio and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio(P<0.01).Compared to the miR-155 inhibitor group,the miR-155 inhibitor+si-SOCS1 group exhibited increased Th17 ratio and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio in CD4+T cells(P<0.05).Conclusion Elevated expression of miR-155 in RA patients may mediate the differentiation of CD4+T cells into Th17 cells through the SOCS1/STAT3 pathway,contributing to the imbalance of Th17/Treg cells in peripheral blood of RA patients.