Integrative Analysis of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNA-Associated ceRNA Network in an Atopic Dermatitis Recurrence Model

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin disease characterized by its chronic nature and relapse. Ample evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs play a major role in AD pathogenesis. However, the mechanism remains unknown, particularly in AD recurrence. Dynamic morphological and cytokine changes were measured throughout the whole course of an FITC-induced AD recurrence murine model. Microarray assay and integrative analysis were performed to comprehensively explore long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), and microRNA (miRNA) networks. Our results showed that an AD recurrence model was established. Overall, 5766 lncRNAs, 4025 mRNAs, and 202 miRNAs changed after elicitation, whereas, 419 lncRNAs, 349 mRNAs, and more notably, only 23 miRNAs, were dysregulated in the remission phase. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were used to investigate the potential functions of the dysregulated genes. The altered regulation of seven miRNAs and seven lncRNAs were validated in different stages of the model. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network inferred that lncRNA humanlincRNA0490+ could compete for miR-155-5p binding, through which it might affect Pkiα expression. Altogether, our findings have provided a novel perspective on the potential roles of non-coding RNAs in AD, and suggest that specific non-coding RNAs could be new therapeutic targets against AD recurrence.