RESUMO
BACKGROUND:Genetic factors, environment, chronic infection, and autoimmune disorders are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Ethnic and regional diversity of differentialy expressed genes has become research hotspot because of family aggregation and ethnic diversity of ankylosing spondylitis. OBJECTIVE:To screen differentialy expressed genes in Xinjiang Uygur and Han patients with ankylosing spondylitis by microarray screening and compare differences in gene expressions. METHODS: Uygur and Han patients with active ankylosing spondylitis in department of rheumatology of our hospital were randomly colected with five patients for each. In addition, three healthy volunteers were selected as controls. RNA from peripheral blood was extracted and used for microarray hybridization after probe preparation to screen differentialy expressed genes in ankylosing spondylitis samples and the microarray results were verified by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Twenty differentialy expressed miRNAs were screened in Uygur and Han patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (P < 0.05). From relationship analysis of target genes and miRNAs, 15 target genes corresponding to the 79 miRNAs involved in human leucocyte antigens and interleukins which linked to human immunity system were found. These findings suggest that differentialy expressed genes can be screened from Uygur and Han patients with ankylosing spondylitis.