Decreased ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in Peripheral Blood Are as Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sep 5, 2020BioMed research international

Lower Levels of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in Blood May Increase Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Abstract

The mRNA expression of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 is significantly decreased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to controls.

  • The global m6A content in peripheral blood is significantly increased in RA patients compared to controls.
  • Increased m6A content is negatively correlated with decreased mRNA expression of FTO.
  • The mRNA expression of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 is associated with various disease activity markers, including disease activity score 28 (DAS28) and immunoglobulin G (IgG).
  • analysis indicates that lower expression levels of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in peripheral blood may be a risk factor for developing RA.
  • The mRNA expression of FTO increases in RA patients who receive regular treatment.

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Key numbers

79 of 79
Decrease in mRNA Expression
mRNA expression levels in RA patients vs. controls
p < 0.001
Increased m6A Content
Comparison of global m6A content in RA patients vs. controls
p < 0.001
Risk Factor Identification
results for risk factors in RA

Full Text

What this is

  • This research investigates the roles of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  • The study measures mRNA expression levels of these genes in RA patients compared to healthy controls.
  • Findings indicate that decreased expression of these genes correlates with disease activity and may serve as risk factors for RA.

Essence

  • Decreased mRNA expression of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in peripheral blood is associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Increased global m6A content negatively correlates with FTO expression.

Key takeaways

  • Decreased mRNA expression of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 in RA patients was confirmed through quantitative real-time PCR. This suggests that these genes may play important roles in the disease.
  • Increased global m6A content was observed in RA patients compared to controls. This increase negatively correlated with decreased expression of FTO, indicating a potential relationship between and RA pathology.
  • analysis identified decreased expression of ALKBH5, FTO, and YTHDF2 as risk factors for RA. This finding supports their potential as biomarkers for the disease.

Caveats

  • The study's findings are based on a specific cohort of RA patients, which may limit the generalizability of the results. Further research is needed to confirm these associations in diverse populations.
  • The causal relationship between decreased gene expression and RA progression remains unclear. Correlation does not imply causation, and the underlying mechanisms require further investigation.

Definitions

  • m6A modification: A prevalent RNA modification involving the addition of a methyl group to the N6 position of adenosine, influencing RNA stability and function.
  • logistic regression: A statistical method used to model the relationship between a binary outcome and one or more predictor variables, estimating the probability of the outcome.

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