Aim: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are novel intracellular noncoding ribonucleotides regulating the genome and proteome. The lncRNA activated by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) (lncRNA-ATB) was discovered as a prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. However, little is known about the role of lncRNA-ATB in renal transplantation. This study aimed to assess lncRNA-ATB expression in renal transplant patients with acute kidney injury and explore its role in postoperative pharmaceutical immunosuppression therapy.
Methods: We detected lncRNA-ATB expression in the kidney biopsies of a cohort of 72 patients with renal allograft rejection and 36 control transplant patients. lncRNA-ATB were overexpressed from lentiviral vectors in renal cells.
Results: We found that lncRNA-ATB was remarkably upregulated in patients with acute rejection compared with controls. Meanwhile, lncRNA-ATB could influence the kidney cell phenotypes and impact the nephrotoxicity of immunosuppressive drug.
Conclusion: In conclusion, lncRNA-ATB are strongly altered in patients with acute rejection and may serve as a novel biomarker of acute kidney rejection, identifying patients with acute rejection and predicting loss of kidney function.
Keywords: acute rejection; apoptosis; calcineurin inhibitors; cell proliferation; lncRNA.
© 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.