Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) of miRNAs in PBMCs

We carried out Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) to reveal circulating miRNA profiles of 96 patients to distinguish the radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. The sequencing platform identified 1900 miRNA species, out of which 432 miRNAs were present with the base mean, computed by DESeq2, more than 10. We identified 48 miRNAs, which were different in PBMCs in patients with axial spondyloarthritis compared to healthy controls. Overall design: We collected PBMCs from 38 nr-axSpA, 38 r-axSpA patients and 20 healthy controls. The statistical analysis was adjusted to potential confounding variables, including sex, age, and CRP, which were identified as relevant factors in our cohort and previous studies.