ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the expression of Annexin a1 (AnxA1) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls and to investigate its influencing factors. Methods: Thirty Naïve RA patients and 36 healthy controls were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between May 2013 and January 2015.All RA patients were fulfilled the classification criteria of ACR in 1987.Clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes were collected.Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure AnxA1 and Foxp3 mRNA expression respectively.Serum TNF-α, IL-17 and IL-10 levels in each group was determined separately by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, correlations between the expression of AnxA1 mRNA and clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, Foxp3 mRNA, serum IL-17, TNF-α, IL-10 level in Naïve RA patients were analyzed. Results: The expressions of AnxA1 mRNA in PBMC of Naïve RA patients were lower than that of healthy controls [0.12 (0.05-0.30) versus 1.66 (0.40-2.68), P<0.05]. The Foxp3 mRNA expressions in PBMC of Naïve RA patients were also lower than that of healthy controls [0.77 (0.39-1.89) versus 2.93 (2.65-3.49), P<0.05], while serum TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-10 levels of Naïve RA patients were higher than those of healthy controls (P<0.05). The expression of AnxA1 was positively associated with the expression of Foxp3 mRNA (r(s)=0.513, P<0.05) and negatively associated with the serum IL-17 level (r(s)=-0.381, P<0.05). But there were no correlations between expression of AnxA1 in PBMCs from Naïve RA patients with the TNF-α, IL-10 level, clinical characteristics (sex, age, disease duration and disease activity) and the laboratory indexes (RF, Anti-CCP antibody, ESR and CRP). The expression of Foxp3 mRNA and the serum IL-17 level was the independent influencing factor. Conclusions: The reduced expression of AnxA1 may associate with the reduced expression of Foxp3 and the increased IL-17 level in Naïve RA patients.It suggested that AnxA1 may play a key role in immune regulation and anti-inflammatory process in the pathogenesis of RA.
