Integrated analysis of exosomal lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles reveals the involvement of lnc-MKRN2-42:1 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common movement disorder for which diagnosis mainly depends on the medical history and clinical symptoms. Exosomes are now considered an additional mechanism for intercellular communication, allowing cells to exchange proteins, lipids, and genetic material. Long noncoding (lnc) RNA in exosomes plays a critical role in many diseases, including neurodegenerative disease. Aim To study expression differences for lncRNAs in peripheral blood exosomes of PD patients compared with healthy individuals and to look for lncRNAs that might be related to the pathogenesis of PD. Materials and Methods We recruited PD patients along with age- and sex-matched healthy individuals as healthy controls and evaluated levels of lncRNAs extracted from exosomes in plasma samples via next-generation sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR. Correlation analysis was conducted for the clinical characteristics of PD patients and the expression of selected lncRNAs. Results We found 15 upregulated and 24 downregulated exosomal lncRNAs in the PD group. According to bioinformatics analyses, we chose lnc-MKRN2-42:1 for further study. Interestingly, lnc-MKRN2-42:1 was positively correlated with the MDS-UPDRS III score for PD patients. Conclusion Our study suggested that lnc-MKRN2-42:1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of PD.