Circular RNA Expression Profile and Analysis of Their Potential Function in Psoriasis

Background/Aims: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are evolutionary conserved circular non-coding RNAs that play a role in several diseases by sequestering (sponging) microRNAs (miRNAs). However, their role in psoriasis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the expression of circRNAs and analyzed their potential functions in psoriasis. Methods: The SBC human ceRNA array V1.0 was used to analyze circRNA expression in psoriatic lesions and normal healthy skin tissues. Functional analyses were performed using Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Putative miRNA response elements (MREs) were identified using miRNA target prediction software. Six upregulated circRNAs were verified by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in psoriatic lesions and healthy skin tissues. Results: A total of 4956 circRNAs (3016 upregulated and 1940 downregulated; fold change ≥2 and p< 0.05) were identified as differentially expressed in psoriasis. Furthermore, 4405 MREs were identified among the differentially expressed circRNAs. hsa_circ_0061012 was upregulated in psoriatic lesions compared with normal healthy skin tissues. The top five MREs of hsa_circ_0061012 were hsa-miR-7157-5p, hsa-miR-4769-3p, hsa-miR-6817-5p, hsa-miR-4310, and hsa-miR-6882-3p. GO analysis was carried out to investigate the biological functions enriched among the upregulated targets of five miRNAs in psoriasis. The GO analysis identified that most of top 30 of GO enrichment are related to psoriasis. Conclusion: hsa_circ_0061012 might be a candidate biomarker for psoriasis. The results provide a new perspective for a better understanding of ceRNA-mediated gene regulation in psoriasis, and provide a novel theoretical basis for further studies on the function of circRNA in psoriasis.