نسرین هادی - Medical Genetics Research Center of Genome, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
فائزه نمازی - Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Ashkezar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ashkezar, Yazd, Iran.
فاطمه کتابچی - Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
فریناز خسرویان - Cellular, Molecular and Genetics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
پریسا رواقی - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
منصور صالحی - Medical Genetics Research Center of Genome, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Background and Aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been assumed to be a complex and indecipherable disease, and poorly understood with regard to etiology which is characterized by relapses and remissions. The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is known to be associated with the regulation of immune responses. Recently, investigations have reported that miRNA expression profiles in blood cells become changed in MS. The aim of this study was to elucidate the alterations in the expression of circulating miR-۳۷۷ and miR-۹۸ in ۶۰ relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients in comparison with controls. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method to explore the expression of circulating miR-۳۷۷ and miR-۹۸ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from ۶۰ RRMS patients, ۳۰ of whom were recurring patients, ۳۰ were two months after relapse patients, and ۳۰ others were controls, in order to examine the association of expression level of these miRNAs with RRMS. Results: Results indicated that the expression of miR-۳۷۷ significantly increases in recurring patients and two months after relapse patients in comparison with controls (p=۰.۰۰۱۷ and p=۰.۰۰۰۱, respectively). However, miR-۹۸ demonstrated down regulation in recurring patients and two months after relapse patients (p=۰.۰۰۰۲ and p=۰.۰۰۰۱, respectively). Conclusions: It can be concluded that miR-۳۷۷ and miR-۹۸ may be prospective biomarkers with the potential use for diagnosis of RRMS patients in the future investigations.

miR-۳۷۷, miR-۹۸, microRNA, Multiple sclerosis., مالتیپل اسکلروزیس, میکرو آر ان ای, میر۹۸, میر ۳۷۷