Plasma miRNA Expression Profiling Using Human TaqMan Low Density Array Cards

Our study was designed to identify plasma miRNAs specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by a comprehensive array approach. We performed a array-based miRNA analysis on plasma samples from three RA patients and three healthy controls (HCs). TaqMan Low-Density Array (TLDA) using human miRNA version 3.0A and version 2.0B cards (Applied Biosystems) were applied to examine the global change of miRNA expression levels in plasma from patients with RA and healthy controls. A total of 756 mature miRNA updated in the Sanger miRBase v.15.0 were quantified according to the manufacturer's instructions as previously described. Normalization was carried out with the average Ct value of all miRNAs. Relative quantification of miRNA expression was calculated with the 2−ΔΔCt Ct method. The data was presented as log10 of the relative quantity of each miRNA.