The microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of short non-coding RNAs regulating protein translation via mRNAs silencing. Studies have shown that microRNAs play critical roles in allergic diseases, tumors, and infections. The allergic airway diseases are characterized by inflammation and hyperresponsiveness of the respiratory tract. Several miRNAs are found to be involved in a series of pathophysiologic processes in allergic airway diseases including inflammatory cells infiltration, cytokines' expressions, airway hyperresponsiveness, and proliferation and change in phenotype of smooth muscle cells. Therefore, miRNAs may be new therapeutic targets for these allgeric diseases. This article reviews the roles of miRNAs in asthma and allergic rhinitis and their molecular biological mechanisms.
Asthma ; physiopathology ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Rhinitis ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential characteristics of plasma mircoRNA (miRNA) expression profile in the patients of moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis treated with acupuncture so as to provide an index for screening the potential biomarkers of acupuncture efficacy. METHODS: Of 33 patients of moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis underwent acupuncture, the superior efficacy patients (superior efficacy group, 3 cases) and the inferior efficacy patients (inferior efficacy group, 3 cases) were selected. Using human miRNA microarray technology, the differences in plasma miRNA expression before and after treatment were analyzed in the patients of two groups. Besides, 10 cases of superior efficacy and 10 cases of inferior one were selected respectively among the patients of moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis treated with same acupuncture regimen; and the real-time PCR was used to validate miRNAs of differential expression determined by microarray technology. The bioinformatics analysis was performed for miRNAs of significant differences in expression so as to predict the potential functional target genes, and then, the predicted target genes were annotated in reference with the databases of gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). RESULTS: Before treatment, there were 51 miRNAs of differential expression between two groups, of which, the expression levels of 26 miRNAs were up-regulated and those of 25 miRNAs were down-regulated. Compared with before treatment, 33 miRNAs presented differential expression in the superior efficacy group after treatment. The results of real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of hsa-miR-126-3p, hsa-miR-15a-5p, hsa-miR-494-3p and hsa-miR-574-5p were consistent with the results of microarray analysis in tendency. GO/KEGG analysis indicated that miRNAs with significant differences of expression between two groups were involved in regulating various biological processes, molecular functions and signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Plasma miRNA-mediated biological processes may be associated with the efficacy response of acupuncture in treatment of moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis. Plasma miRNAs of differential expression may be the potential non-invasive biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of acupuncture on moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Signal Transduction

Objective: Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) and perennial AR, so as to obtain the differences in the gene expression of nasal epithelial cells between seasonal AR and perennial AR. Methods: The human nasal epithelial cell line(HNEpC) was cultured in vitro, treated with 100 μg/ml mugwort or house dust mite (HDM) extracts for 24 hours. Total cell RNA was extracted, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of cytokines, including IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). From November 2019 to November 2020, 3 seasonal AR patients, 3 perennial AR patients, and 3 healthy controls who attended the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were analyzed. The patients' primary nasal epithelial cells were cultured in vitro, treated with corresponding allergens for 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted for transcriptome sequencing, and the sequencing results were analyzed by bioinformatics. Results: The qPCR results showed that the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-33 and TSLP of HNEpC treated with mugworts extracts and HDM extracts had the same trend of change. After the nasal epithelial cells from patients with seasonal AR and perennial AR were treated with corresponding allergens, there were differences in biological processes and signal pathways between those and control. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEG) in AR patients allergic to mugwort were mainly enriched in the oxidation-reduction process, the negative regulation of apoptosis process, and the cell adhesion; the DEG in AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cell adhesion, the negative regulation of cell proliferation and the response to drug. Enrichment analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway showed that the DEG of AR patients allergic to mugwort were significantly enriched in arachidonic acid metabolism, p53 signaling pathway and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, while the DEG of AR patients allergic to HDM were mainly enriched in cells cycle, Fanconi anemia pathway and DNA replication. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that the inflammatory response, TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathway and IL-2/STAT5 signaling pathway were significantly up-regulated in AR patients allergic to mugwort, indicating the promotion of inflammatory response; and AR patients allergic to HDM had significant down-regulation of G2M, E2F, and MYC, indicating the inhibition of cell proliferation. The protein-protein interaction network showed that TNF and CDK1 were the most interacting proteins in mugwort and HDM allergic AR patients, respectively. Conclusion: Seasonal AR and perennial AR may affect the different biological processes and signal pathways of nasal epithelial cells, leading to differences in the occurrence and development of AR.
Allergens ; Animals ; Computational Biology ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Epithelial Cells/metabolism* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Interleukin-33/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Interleukin-8 ; Nasal Mucosa/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/metabolism* ; Pyroglyphidae ; RNA/metabolism* ; Rhinitis, Allergic/metabolism* ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; Seasons

OBJECTIVE: To study the change of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulfide, H2S) and its rate-limiting enzyme Cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) in allergic rhinitis through guinea pigs with intervention treatment. METHOD: Twenty-four guinea pigs were divide into 4 groups at random, one group were models of allergic rhinitis (AR) which were established by using ovalbumin, the second group were treated with NaHS after sensitized, the third group were treated with Propargylglycine (PPG) which was suppression of CSE after sensitized, and the last group were treated with saline for control. The concentration of eotaxin of nasal lavage and H2S in plasma were recorded, and then the expression of CSE in nasal mucosa was determined by real-time fluorescence RT-PCR. RESULT: The concentration of eotaxin in nasal lavage of sensitized group were higher than those of control (P < 0.01), and concentration of H2S in plasma and expression of CSE in nasal mucosa were lower than control (P < 0.05). The concentration of eotaxin decreased when treated with NaHS and increased when treated with PGG (P < 0.05). Level of H2S in plasma and expression of CSE increased when treated with NaHS and decreased when treated with PGG (P < 0.05), and the level of H2S was positive linear correlate with the expression of CSE. CONCLUSION Endogenous H2S perhaps plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis, and it was mainly regulated by CSE.
Animals ; Cystathionine gamma-Lyase ; metabolism ; Guinea Pigs ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; metabolism ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Rhinitis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of Eotaxin and the effect of histamine in allergic rhinitis model (AR), and aim to explore the pathogenesis of AR. METHOD: The AR models were established by application of ovum albumin in rats. The expression of Eotaxin in nasal mucosa, serum and nasal cavity lavage fluid, were observed before and after treatment of histamine or its antagonist by immunochemistry, RT-PCR and ELISA technique. RESULT: The expression of Eotaxin in nasal lavage fluid and nasal mucosa increased after treatment of histamine (P < 0.05). Contrarily, the expression of Eotaxin in nasal lavage fluid, nasal mucosa and serum decreased after treatment of the antagonist of histamine. CONCLUSION Both histamine and its receptor can involve in the pathogenesis of AR by affecting the expression of Eotaxin.
Animals ; Chemokine CCL11 ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Female ; Histamine ; metabolism ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of IL-17 and IL-23 in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis(AR) and non. allergic rhinitis(NAR). METHOD: Selected 156 cases of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR group) and 59 cases of patients with non-allergic rhinitis (NAR group), 60 cases of healthy people (control group). All cases in AR group and NAR groups were evaluated by a visual analog scale (VAS) score of nasal symptoms. Collected peripheral blood and nasal secretions in all cases and then detected IL-17 and IL-23 expression levels. RESULT: There was no significant difference in VAS score of AR group and NAR group (P>0. 05). IL-17 and IL-23 levels of serum and nasal secretions in AR group and NAR group were both higher than control group, with a highly significant difference (P <0. 05). The research showed a clear correlation between expression of IL-17 and IL-23 both in serum and nasal secretions of AR group and NAR(P<0. 05). CONCLUSION IL-17 and IL-23 may be important cytokines and IL-23/IL-17 pathway may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis.
Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; metabolism ; Interleukin-23 ; blood ; metabolism ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Rhinitis ; blood ; metabolism ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; blood ; metabolism

Animals ; Chemokine CCL11 ; metabolism ; Guinea Pigs ; Respiratory Mucosa ; metabolism ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo confirm the expression and distribution of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) in rat nasal mucosa of experimental allergic rhinitis and to investigate the relationship between AQP5 and allergic rhinitis.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy Wistar rats both male and female weighting 200-300 g were divided into two groups randomly, one was testing group (n = 12), the other was comparing group (n = 12). Generally sensitized rats in testing group were given repeated local booster sensitization into nasal cavity. Twelve normal rat nasal mucosa and twelve nasal mucosa from rat with allergic rhinitis were used. The distribution of AQP5 in normal rat nasal mucosa and nasal mucosa in rat with allergic rhinitis were observed by immunofluorescence technique. Furthermore, the expression of AQP5 in normal rat nasal mucosa and nasal mucosa from rat with allergic rhinitis were studied by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSHematoxylin and eosin staining showed that there was obvious inflammation reaction, a large quantity of glands hyperplasia and acidophils soaked in nasal mucosa from rat with allergic rhinitis. (2) Both immunofluorescence technique and immunohistochemical staining showed that the distribution of AQP5 in normal rat nasal mucosa was in accordance with that in nasal mucosa from rat with allergic rhinitis on the whole. AQP5 expressed mainly in the membrane and cytoplasm of the epithelium in the glands, ducts and cilia. (3) The statistical analysis of the immunohistochemical staining showed that the quantity of AQP5 in rat nasal mucosa with allergic rhinitis (156.37 +/- 1.93) was obviously higher than that in the normal rat nasal mucosa (178.52 +/- 1.94). There was statistical significance between the two groups (t = 28.08, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe hypersecretion of glands has a close relationship with the high expression of AQP5 in allergic rhinitis.

Animals ; Aquaporin 5 ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; metabolism

Humans ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; metabolism ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Toll-Like Receptors ; metabolism

Objective:To analyze the differential expression of neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 8（NEDD8） protein in nasal polyp tissues of patients with different pathological types of chronic rhinorhinosinusitis with nasal polyps（CRSwNP）. Methods:All specimens were obtained from the specimen library of Beijing Tongren Hospital, and were all patients who underwent nasal endoscopic surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis in Beijing Tongren Hospital. Hematoxylin-eosin staining（HE） was used to detect the number of eosinophils in nasal polyps, and CRSwNP patients were grouped according to the number of eosinophils in nasal polyps, immunohistochemistry was used to detect and analyze the expression level of NEDD8 protein in nasal polyps. Results:The expression level of NEDD8 protein in nasal polyps of patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinorhinosinusitis with nasal polyps was significantly higher than that of patients with non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps（P<0.05）. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the expression level of NEDD8 protein and the number of eosinophils in nasal polyp tissue（r=0.79, P=0.02）. Conclusion:There are differences in the expression of NEDD8 protein in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps of different pathological types.
Humans ; Nasal Polyps/metabolism* ; Rhinitis/diagnosis* ; NEDD8 Protein/metabolism* ; Sinusitis/diagnosis* ; Eosinophils/metabolism* ; Chronic Disease