The influence of blood levels of circRNAs and microRNAs on the development of ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory condition of the colon with an unknown cause. It is the most common form of inflammatory bowel disease worldwide, typically starting in the rectum and extending continuously through the mucosa and submucosa of the colon. A primary genetic component or disturbed gut microbiota may precipitate the disease. METHODS: We are investigating the roles of circRNAs and microRNAs in the disease, focusing on their connections to severity and remission. We used real-time PCR to measure the expression levels of selected microRNAs (miR-29a, miR-30c, miR-148a, and miR-410-3p) and the circRNA met oncogene and circ 0084764 in peripheral blood. RESULTS: Fecal calprotectin was elevated in the severe group than in the mild group (p = 0.005). MicroRNA-29a was significantly upregulated in the severe group compared to the mild group (p = 0.016). MicroRNA-30c was significantly downregulated in the severe group compared to the mild group (p = 0.004). MicroRNA-410-3p was downregulated in the severe group compared to both the mild and moderate groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.022), respectively. Conversely, microRNA-148a exhibited no significant alterations among the patient groups (p = 0.318). CircRNA-0084764 was upregulated in the severe group compared to the mild and moderate groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001), respectively. The diagnostic performance of markers in distinguishing patients from controls showed that circRNA-met oncogene had the highest sensitivity of 94.83% and a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: We confidently established that the altered expression of circRNAs and microRNAs contributes to UC’s pathogenesis and drug therapy’s personalization. Notably, circRNA-met oncogene stands out as an independent predictor of disease severity, while microRNA-30c is a proven and reliable independent remission predictor.