Serum IL-22, miRNA-146a Expression and Total Antioxidant Status as Integrated Biomarkers in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation of the synovial joints. Over time, this inflammatory process contributes to cartilage destruction, bone erosion, functional impairment and several extra-articular complications [1,2]. Current evidence indicates that RA pathogenesis is not driven by a single mechanism, but rather by a complex interaction among cytokine dysregulation, epigenetic changes and oxidative stress. Objective: This study was designed to organize, analyze and interpret the available findings concerning serum IL-22, miRNA-146a relative expression and total antioxidant status in patients with RA compared with healthy controls, with particular attention to their biological significance and potential diagnostic value. Methods: A case-control dataset including 40 RA patients and 40 controls was analyzed. The previously excluded immunological variables were removed from the analysis according to the revised study plan.IL-22 was detected by ELISA Technique, whereas miRNA was restricted by qPCR and spectrophotometer was used to estimate total antioxidant. Statistical analysis was performed in an SPSS-style framework using descriptive statistics, independent-samples comparisons, Spearman correlation and Kruskal-Wallis testing where appropriate. Results: Patients with RA exhibited increased levels of all three investigated biomarkers when compared with the control group. Among these markers, miRNA-146a showed the greatest relative change, followed by total antioxidant status and IL-22. The reported ROC analysis indicated excellent diagnostic performance for miRNA-146a and total antioxidant status, whereas IL-22 demonstrated only moderate to borderline discriminatory ability. Conclusion: The available data suggest that miRNA-146a, IL-22 and total antioxidant status may collectively reflect an interconnected epigenetic, inflammatory and redox-related profile in RA. Among the studied biomarkers, miRNA-146a appeared to be the most informative indicator in the supplied dataset. However, further confirmation using original participant-level data and an independent validation cohort is still required before final journal submission.