Evaluation of arterial histopathology and microRNA expression that underlie ultrasonography findings in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis

Suljič, Alen (author), Hočevar, Alojzija (author), Jurčić, Vesna (author), Bolha, Luka (author)

The aim of this study was to assess the interrelation between vascular ultrasonography (US) findings, histopathological data, and the expression of selected dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in giant cell arteritis (GCA). The study included data on the clinical parameters, US measurements, and temporal artery biopsies (TABs) of 46 treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with GCA and 22 age-matched non-GCA patient controls. We performed a comprehensive comparative and correlation analysis along with generation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to ascertain the diagnostic performance of US examination parameters and selected miRNAs for GCA diagnosis. We showed significant differences in the US-measured intima–media thickness of the temporal arteries, the presence of a halo sign, and the presence of luminal stenosis between GCA-positive/TAB-positive, GCA-positive/TAB-negative, and non-GCA patients. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between several histopathological parameters, US-measured intima–media thickness, and the halo sign. We found that the significant overexpression of miR-146b-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-511-5p, and miR-21-5p, and the under-expression of the miR-143/145 cluster, miR-30a-5p, and miR-125a-5p, coincides and is associated with the presence of a halo sign in patients with GCA. Notably, we determined a high diagnostic performance of miR-146b-5p, miR-21-3p, and miR-21-5p expression profiles in discriminating GCA patients from non-GCA controls, suggesting their potential utilization as putative biomarkers of GCA. Taken together, our study provides an insight into the US-based diagnostic evaluation of GCA by revealing the complex interrelation of clearly defined image findings with underlying vascular immunopathology and altered arterial tissue-specific miRNA profiles.

• Language: English
• Keywords: giant cell arteritis, ultrasonography, arterial remodeling, halo sign, temporal artery biopsy, microRNA, inflammation, immunopathology, diagnosis, vasculitis
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 24, iss. 2, art. 1572
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154104
• UDC: 616
• ISSN on article: 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021572
• COBISS.SI-ID: 137871107
• Publication date in RUL: 25.01.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of molecular sciences
• Shortened title: Int. j. mol. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1422-0067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2779162

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: velikanski celični arteritis, ultrazvok, preoblikovanje arterij

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0054
• Name: Patologija in molekularna genetika