Immunopathological role of MiR-326, viral infection and IL-17 concentration in multiple sclerosis patients

Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) development is increase by viral infections that affect the central nerve system and altered immune response with demyelination and loss of nerve axons.

Objectives
This study aimed to focus on the role of MiR-326 in relation to CMV, HSV and IL-17 concentration in MS.

Material and methods
A case-control study was carried out for 100 participants classified as 80 multiple sclerosis patients (case group), which included 60 female and 20 male at different ages, at the Al-Husseini Teaching Hospital in the holy city of Karbala from November 2022 till end of April 2023, along with 20 apparently healthy subjects (control group). Approx. 4 ml of blood was taken from all participants, which was divided into 2 ml of blood to separate serum for detected IL-17 level by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and examined CMV and HSV-1 anti-bodies, and by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique 2 ml of blood used to investigate whether expression level of micR326 could be used as predictor for multiple sclerosis and its correlation with IL-17. Statistical analysis was completed with the use of statical software (IBM SPSS statistics 26). The chi-square test was used to determining the statistical difference of qualitative results among the different groups. The results of IL-17 level and miR-326 are given as arithmetic mean ± S.D. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the comparison be-tween patients and the control group. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statically significant.

Results
The study revealed that females with multiple sclerosis more than males with a female: male ratio (3:1), the age of patients range from 18–63 and the 20–40 years were highest age group with 44 (55%). According to type of disease 22.5% of patients were SPMS and 77.5% were RRMS type, 20 (25%) of patients infected with HSV-1 14 (7.5%) of patients infected with CMV, while 46 (57%) of patients infected with both CMV & HSV-1. IL-17 level in-creased in the patients with multiple sclerosis as compared to healthy and have higher IL-17 serum level in SPMS than RRMS. Increase miRNA-326 mean fold change expression in patients (3.1 ± 1.65) in compare to healthy sub-jects (1.0 ± 0.23).

Conclusions
This result bolsters the theory that there is a connection between viral infection multiple sclerosis, se-rum level concentration of interleukin-17 play key role in progressive disease, microRNA-326 may take part in the development of MS and microRNA-326 expression can be useful biomarker for prediction of multiple sclerosis.