Dysregulated circRNAs in plasma from active tuberculosis patients. Dysregulated circRNAs in plasma from active tuberculosis patients

Role of circRNAs in active tuberculosis (TB) remains unknown. The present study was aimed to determine plasma circRNA expression profile in active TB patients to identify potential biomarker by circRNA microarrays. Overall design: A total of 32 newly diagnosed active TB patients with a mean age of 36.1±13.4 yr (male/female=17/15) (BC group) were consecutively recruited from Weifang No.2 People’s Hospital. The diagnosis of active TB was based on compatible clinical symptoms, and at least one sputum smear or sputum culture positive. At the same time, 29 age-and-gender matched healthy controls with a mean age of 35.2±12.9 yr (male/female=15/14) (CC group) were enrolled from the staff of Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University and Weifang No.2 People’s Hospital. For the study, all the active TB patients had no history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy before blood collection, and patients were excluded if they had a prior history of TB, a close contact with active TB patient, or other diseases like other infectious disease, cancer or diabetes. Three plasma samples randomly selected from each group (male/female=2/1; BC group including BC1, BC2 and BC10; CC group including CC6, CC7 and CC8) were applied for microarray analysis and all of the samples were used for further qRT-PCR validation.

环状RNA（circRNAs）在活动性结核病（TB）中的作用目前仍不明确。本研究旨在通过环状RNA微阵列分析活动性结核病患者的血浆环状RNA表达谱，以筛选潜在的生物标志物。

总体研究设计：本研究连续招募潍坊第二人民医院的32例初诊活动性结核病患者作为结核病组（BC组），患者平均年龄为36.1±13.4岁，男女性别比为17:15。活动性结核病的诊断依据为存在符合的临床症状，且至少1项痰涂片或痰培养结果呈阳性。同时，从潍坊医学院附属医院及潍坊第二人民医院的工作人员中招募29例年龄、性别匹配的健康受试者作为健康对照组（CC组），其平均年龄为35.2±12.9岁，男女性别比为15:14。

本研究纳入的活动性结核病患者均未在采血前接受过放疗或化疗；若受试者既往有结核病病史、与活动性结核病患者密切接触史，或合并其他传染病、恶性肿瘤、糖尿病等其他疾病，则被排除。

本研究从每组中随机选取3份血浆样本（男女性别比为2:1；结核病组样本编号为BC1、BC2及BC10；健康对照组样本编号为CC6、CC7及CC8）进行微阵列分析，所有样本均用于后续的实时定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）验证。