MicroRNAs differentially expressed in Behçet disease are involved in interleukin-6 production

BACKGROUND: Behcet’s disease (BD) is characterized by systemic recurrent inflammation with increased production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–α and interleukin (IL)-6 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). To gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of this disease, the expression levels of distinct microRNAs in PBMCs of BD patients were determined and their association with TNF-α and IL-6 production was evaluated. FINDINGS: The expression levels of microRNAs, miR-638 and miR-4488, were reduced in patients with stable BD in comparison with healthy controls. In addition, the expression of miR-3591-3p was increased in patients with active BD when compared to patients with stable BD. Transfection of miR-638 and miR-4488 inhibitors, together with miR-3591-3p mimics, increased IL-6 mRNA levels in THP-1 cells in response to LPS stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: We observed differential expression of microRNAs associated with increased production of IL-6 in BD patients. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12950-016-0130-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.