lncRNA MEG3 is downregulated in ankylosing spondylitis and associated with disease activity, hospitalization time and disease duration

Long non-coding (lnc)RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) has been proved to participate in osteoporosis, which features inverse pathological changes to those associated with spondylosis. The present study aimed to investigate the involvement of lncRNA MEG3 in ankylosing spondylitis. Blood and open sacroiliac joint biopsies were obtained from ankylosing spondylitis patients and healthy controls, and the expression of MEG3 in those tissues was detected by reverse-transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Disease activity was evaluated according to the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score established by the International Association of Ankylosing Spondylitis. The diagnostic value of MEG3 expression for ankylosing spondylitis was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The correlation between MEG3 expression and disease activity was assessed using Pearson correlation analysis. Furthermore, according to the median expression level of MEG3, patients were divided into high-level and low-level groups. The hospitalization time and re-hospitalization rate within 2 years after discharge were compared between these two groups and differences in clinicopathological parameters between the two groups were analyzed using the chi-square test. The results indicated that MEG3 was downregulated in ankylosing spondylitis patients compared with that in healthy controls. Furthermore, MEG3 expression levels may be used to effectively distinguish ankylosing spondylitis patients from healthy controls. The serum levels of MEG3 were not associated with the patients' age, sex or alcohol/tobacco consumption, but closely correlated with disease activity and disease duration. In addition, patients with higher expression levels of MEG3 had a shorter hospitalization time and a lower re-hospitalization rate within 2 years after discharge It was concluded that lncRNA MEG3 is downregulated in ankylosing spondylitis patients and is associated with disease activity, time of hospitalization and disease duration.