Proteomic and Genomic Profiling of Plasma Exosomes from Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

Recent advances in knowledge of the biology of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) using innovative genetic and biomarker approaches offer the opportunity to address current challenges in AS diagnosis and management. Altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to immune dysregulation and play a significant role in the onset and persistence of inflammation in AS. The capacity of exosomes to transport miRNAs between cells, thereby inducing phenotypic alterations in recipient cells has been the subject of considerable attention in recent years. This study reports the first comprehensive miRNA profiling of plasma-derived exosomes utilizing Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and pathway analysis. Overall design: Plasma samples from AS patients and healthy controls (HC) were isolated via ultracentrifuge and subjected to extracellular vesicle (EV) flow cytometry analysis to characterize exosome surface markers by a multiplex immunocapture assay. Cytokine profiling of plasma-derived exosomes and cell culture supernatant was performed. Next-generation sequencing was used to identify miRNA populations in exosomes enriched from plasma fractions.