Abstract
Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in a variety of pathological processes. We describe the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in non-smokers, smokers without COPD and smokers with COPD using microarray analysis.
Methodology: RNA was extracted from lung tissue and analysed using an Agilent Human lncRNA + mRNA Array v2.0 system. Gene Ontology(GO) and pathway analysis was performed and mapped genes to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database.
Results: 39,253 distinct lncRNA transcripts were detected in the lung tissues of non-smokers, smokers without COPD and smokers with COPD. 87 lncRNAs were significantly up-regulated and 244 down-regulated in smokers without COPD compared to non-smokers with RNA50010︱UCSC-9199-1005 (fold-change: 13.02297) and RNA58351|CombinedLit_316_550 (fold-change: 12.609704)the mostover- and under-regulated. In contrast, 120 lncRNAs were overexpressed and 43 underexpressed in COPD patients compared with smokers without COPD with RNA44121︱UCSC-2000-3182 (fold-change: 8.721127) and RNA43510︱UCSC-1260-3754 (fold-change: 5.527549) being the mostover- and under-regulated. GO and pathway analysis indicated that cigarette smoking was associated with metabolic pathways, and COPD transcripts were associated with 'hematopoietic cell lineage', intermediary metabolism and immune system processes.
Conclusions: Our study is the first to determine the genome-wide expression of lncRNAs in lung tissues. The results show that smoking and the presence of COPD alters the expression of lncRNAs in lung tissues and that these lncRNAs play important roles in pathways implicated in disease onset and progression such as intermediary metabolism and the immune system.
- © 2014 ERS