Microarray based circRNA expression profiles in uremic plasma and PBMCs due to chronic glomerulonephritis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified in many diseases and shown to play important roles in pathological processes. The expression patterns of circRNA in uremia remains unknown. The aim of this study was to screen circRNA in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)in healthy controls and patients with uremia due to chronic glomerulonephritis, and to provide evidence for further exploration of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of uremic patients. Twenty individuals were included in this study, of which 10 were healthy and 10 were patients with uremia caused by chronic glomerulonephritis without systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Peripheral blood was collected from each individual in the two groups and the PBMCs were separated. The circRNAs expression profile was examined using a human circRNA microarray. The expression of differently expressed circRNAs was further validated by qRT-PCR. Seven hundred ten circRNAs were differentially expressed in the plasma in the two groups, accounting for 27.58% of the total circRNA(710/2578). Three hundred eighty-five up regulated circRNAs accounted for 14.93% and 325 down regulated circRNAs accounted for 12.60% of the total circRNAs. Additionally, 968 circRNAs were differentially expressed in PBMCs in the two groups, accounting for 29.24% of all circRNAs (968/3310).Six hundred seventy upregulated circRNAs accounted for 20.24% and 298 down regulated circRNAs accounted for 9.00% of the total circRNAs. The results of qRT-PCR validation were consistent with the microarray gene expression results. The expression profile of circRNAs was altered in the plasma and PBMCs of patients with uremia, which suggests that the changed circRNAs may be potential diagnostic biomarkers that play an important role in the pathogenesis of uremic patients. We speculate that hsa_circ_0053958, hsa_circ_0103281 may be associated with the pathogenesis of uremia and may be potential biological molecular markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of uremia