Abstract

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) represents a chronic disease with a progressive course. It is characterized by excessive lung scarring that ultimately contributes to irreversible lung function reduction. Interestingly, a type of long non-coding RNA termed as telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) is linked to fibrosis pathophysiology, including IPF. In this study, the expression profile of TERRA was investigated in IPF patients on radiological diagnosis [unusual interstitial pattern (UIP) in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)] to evaluate whether it could be employed as a reliable diagnostic biomarker.

Results

TERRA expression level was significantly higher in IPF patients over healthy controls. The expression level was significantly inversely correlated with the percentage of forced vital capacity predicted (FVC% predicted). By contrast, it was significantly directly correlated with HRCT reticular extent score.

Conclusion

TERRA expression is an essential biomarker in peripheral blood of IPF patients, providing a valuable non-invasive tool for IPF diagnosis. Moreover, TERRA expression is strongly correlated with UIP in HRCT reticular extent score.

Details

Title
Telomeric repeat-containing ribonucleic acid (TERRA) expression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Author
El-Desoky, Manal M. 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hewidy, Asem A. 2 ; Fouda, Ahmed M. 2 ; Hisham, Fatma Azzahraa 1 

1  Mansoura University, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt (GRID:grid.10251.37) (ISNI:0000000103426662) 
2  Mansoura University, Department of Chest Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt (GRID:grid.10251.37) (ISNI:0000000103426662) 
Pages
20
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Dec 2021
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
11108630
e-ISSN
20902441
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43042-021-00141-4
ProQuest document ID
2670472877
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.