Modulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa B Signaling and microRNA Profiles by Adalimumab in LPS-Stimulated Keratinocytes

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by keratinocyte hyperactivation and dysregulated cytokine signaling, with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a master transcription factor that regulates immune and inflammatory gene expression, playing a central role. Adalimumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), is widely used in psoriasis therapy, yet its molecular effects on NF-κB-associated genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) in keratinocytes remain insufficiently defined. In this study, immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammatory stress and treated with adalimumab for 2, 8, and 24 h. Transcriptome-wide profiling was performed using messenger RNA (mRNA) and miRNA microarrays, followed by validation with reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bioinformatic analyses included prediction of miRNA–mRNA interactions, construction of protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks, and gene ontology (GO) enrichment. Adalimumab reversed LPS-induced upregulation of NF-κB-associated genes, including inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta (IKBKB), interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 7 (MAP3K7), and TNF alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), with concordant changes observed at the protein level. Several regulatory miRNAs, notably miR-1297, miR-30a, miR-95-5p, miR-125b, and miR-4329, showed reciprocal expression changes consistent with anti-inflammatory activity. STRING analysis identified IKBKB as a central hub in the PPI network, while GO enrichment highlighted immune regulation, apoptosis, and NF-κB signaling. These findings demonstrate that adalimumab modulates NF-κB activity in keratinocytes through coordinated regulation of gene, protein, and miRNA expression, providing mechanistic insight into TNF-α blockade in psoriasis.