Abnormal expression of NF-κB-related transcripts in blood of patients with inflammatory peripheral nerve disorders

Abstract

The NF-κB family includes some transcription factors which have important functions in the regulation of immune responses, therefore participating in the pathophysiology of inflammatory conditions such as peripheral neuropathies. We have quantified expression of a number of NF-κB-related transcripts in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) versus healthy subjects. These transcripts have been previously shown to be functionally related with this family of transcription factors. Expressions of ATG5, DICER-AS1, PACER, DILC, NKILA and ADINR have been increased in both CIDP and GBS patients compared with controls. However, expression of ATG5 was not different between female CIDP cases and female controls. Moreover, expression of PACER was not different between male GBS cases and male controls. Expression levels of CHAST and CEBPA were not different between patients and controls. Expression of none of the assessed genes was different between GBS and CIDP cases. Significant correlations have been revealed between expression amounts of NF-κB-related transcripts both among CIDP/ GBS patients and among controls except for NKILA/ATG5, ADINR/ATG5 and PACER/ATG5 and DICER-AS1/ATG5 pairs among controls whose expression levels have not been correlated. In the patient group, CEBPA/PACER, CHAST/PACER and CHAST/DICER-AS1 pairs had the most robust correlations (r = 0.94). Among controls, NKILA/ADINR pair had the most strong correlation (r = 0.78). ADINR and DICER-AS1 levels could differentiate CIDP cases from controls with 100% sensitivity and specificity. In differentiation of GBS cases from controls, these two transcripts had the AUC values of 0.99 and 1. Combination transcript levels of NF-κB-related transcripts similarly detects CIDP and GBS cases from healthy controls with 100% sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, NF-κB-related transcripts are possibly involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory peripheral nerve disorders and can be used as diagnostic markers for these conditions.