The Role of Plasma miR-124-3p and miR-574-3p Markers in Familial Mediterranean Fever Patients

Background: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disorder marked by frequent fever episodes and serosal inflammation. The exact mechanisms causing FMF are still not fully known, despite the fact that mutations in MEFV gene and innate immune dysregulation are both crucial to the disease. Recent studies have demonstrated the possible role of microRNAs (miRNAs), that are small non-coding RNAs which control gene expression, in modifying inflammatory pathways and immune responses. Numerous autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders have been linked to dysregulated miRNA expression, which raises the possibility that these disorders might play an important role in the pathophysiology of FMF and could be used as new biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis. However, more research is required to determine their precise function in FMF.Objective: The study aim is to explore the potential role of two plasma micro-RNA (miRNA) markers in FMF patients.Methods: The study included 50 FMF patients and 50 healthy controls who presented to The Medical and Scientific Centre of Excellent, in 2023. Blood specimens were collected, plasma was analyzed for miRNA expression profiling, and pertinent clinical and laboratory data was obtained. To find the optimal cutoff values for the miRNAs, receiver operating characteristic curves were built, and two miRNA markers were evaluated.Results: Upon comparing FMF patients to healthy controls, miRNA expression profiling showed that one miRNA (miR-124-3p) was significantly upregulated and one miRNA (miR-574-3p) was significantly downregulated.Conclusion: Plasma miRNAs have the potential to be utilized as FMF diagnostic tools.