Comprehensive lncRNAs expression profiling reveals the potential role of lncRNAs in systemic lupus erythematosus [Human LncRNA Array v3.0]

long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are novel non-coding RNAs which play an important part in regulating gene transcription and translation, modulating protein function, and acting as competing endogeneous RNA. Moveover, there is increasing evidence showing that aberrant expressions of lncRNAs are implicated in various cancers. Yet, their roles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypical autoimmune disease, remain unknown. To reveal the implications of LncRNAs in SLE, we used Human LncRNA Array v3.0 microarrays to measure the expression profiles of lncRNAs in T cells of patients with SLE and healthy controls. we found 869 upregulated lncRNAs and 1066 downregulated lncRNAs in SLE patients compared with controls. Coding-non-coding gene coexpression (CNC) network was constructed based on the correlation analysis between the differentially expressed lncRNA and mRNA. Downregulation of two lncRNAs, uc001ykl.1 and ENST00000448942 was established using Real-time quantitative PCR. These results showed abrrant expression profiles of lncRNAs in T cells of SLE patients and revealed their potential role in SLE. In this study, we determined expression profile of lncRNAs in T cells of six SLE patients (S5, S9, S11, S15, S18, S25) and three healthy controls (C1, C2, C3) using Human LncRNA Array v3.0 microarray.