Serum microRNA profiles in patients with syphilis

Abstract

Syphilis is an acute and chronic inflammatory disorder caused by the non-cultivatable spirochete Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (T. pallidum).^1,2T. pallidum does not produce any known toxic proteins; therefore, most of the symptoms and tissue damage related to syphilis are caused by activation of the host's inflammatory and immune responses,³ thus suggesting that host genetics play an important role in regulating the progression of syphilis infection.

MiRNAs are a class of 19- to 24-nt noncoding RNAs that influence many biological systems, including development, cellular differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, and the immune response;^4–6 they also play crucial roles during microbial infection.⁷

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