LncRNA GAS5 positively regulates IL‐10 expression in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis

INTRODUCTION: LncRNA growth arrest‐specific transcript 5 (GAS5) has been proven to be involved in autoimmune diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of autoimmune disease that may affect myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. However, its direct role in MG is unknown. METHODS: Our study included 62 generalized MG patients. GAS5 expression was analyzed with real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). The interaction between GAS5 and interleukin 10 (IL‐10) was explored in overexpressed cells using real time quantitative polymerase chain reactions (RT‐qPCRs) and western blot. The correlation of GAS5 and IL‐10 was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. The diagnostic value of GAS5 for MG was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: GAS5 and IL‐10 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were significantly lower in MG patients than healthy controls. Downregulated GAS5 effectively distinguished MG patients from healthy controls. GAS5 expression was positively correlated with IL‐10 expression in both MG patients and healthy controls. GAS5 overexpression significantly upregulated IL‐10 expression in PBMCs derived from both MG patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: LncRNA GAS5 may improve generalized MG by positively regulating IL‐10 expression.