Expression and clinical significance of circular RNA hsa_circ_0079787 in the peripheral blood of patients with axial spondyloarthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease involving the axial skeleton. Recent evidence suggested that certain circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a crucial role in rheumatic diseases. However, the functions of circRNAs in AxSpA have remained largely elusive. The present study identified the utility of the circRNA Homo sapiens (hsa)_circ_0079787 as a potential biomarker for AxSpA. A total of 5 circRNAs (hsa_circ_0002715, hsa_circ_0001947, hsa_circ_0079787, hsa_circ_0000367 and hsa_circ_0035197) were determined in the peripheral blood of 46 patients with AxSpA, 46 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 25 healthy controls (HC) by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. The detailed clinical history of each patient was recorded and the correlations between these circRNAs and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of hsa_circ_0079787 and other factors for AxSpA. Of the 5 selected circRNAs, the expression of hsa_circ_0079787 was indicated to be significantly reduced in the peripheral blood of patients with AxSpA as compared with the levels in HCs and patients with SLE. The peripheral blood levels of hsa_circ_0079787 in patients with AxSpA were negatively correlated with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and positively correlated with the platelet count (PLT) and the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. In addition, the expression of peripheral blood hsa_circ_0079787 mmr.2020.11520 male patients with AxSpA was negatively correlated with the mean platelet volume (MPV) and positively correlated with the plateletcrit (PCT). ROC curve analysis suggested that hsa_circ_0079787 and the combination of hsa_circ_0079787-PLT-MPV-PCT had a significant diagnostic value for AxSpA. hsa_circ_0079787 and the combination of hsa_circ_0079787-PLT-MPV-PCT was also able to differentiate between patients with AxSpA and those with SLE. In conclusion, peripheral-blood hsa_circ_0079787 and the combination of hsa_circ_0079787-PLT-MPV-PCT may provide improved diagnostic accuracy for AxSpA. In addition, the levels of hsa_circ_0079787 in the peripheral blood were correlated with disease activity and severity of AxSpA.