{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T03:53:50Z","timestamp":1768535630895,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,26]],"date-time":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1682467200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"MUR-PNRR M4-C2-I1.3 PE6 project","award":["PE00000019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PE00000019"]}]},{"name":"MUR-PNRR M4-C2-I1.3 PE6 project","award":["101057100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101057100"]}]},{"name":"EU-Horizon-HLTH-2021","award":["PE00000019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PE00000019"]}]},{"name":"EU-Horizon-HLTH-2021","award":["101057100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101057100"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The PCSK3 gene encodes for the protease enzyme Furin, which promotes proteolytic maturation of important regulators of the immune response, and also enhances the secretion of interferon-\u03b3 (IFN). Several studies have suggested its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases. Methods: We investigated the PCSK3 gene expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s Syndrome (SS) patients and healthy controls and we evaluated a possible correlation with IFN-\u03b3 gene expression. Moreover, we also explored the variability of two PCSK3 genetic polymorphisms (rs4932178 and rs4702) to evaluate a possible association between these polymorphisms and the expression levels of this gene. Results: We observed, by RT-qPCR, that the PCSK3 expression level was significantly higher in SS patients compared to the controls (p = 0.028), and we confirmed a positive correlation between PCSK3 and IFN-\u03b3 expression levels (p &lt; 0.001). Moreover, we reported that the variant homozygous genotype of rs4932178 SNP is associated with a higher expression of the PCSK3 gene (p = 0.038) and with the SS susceptibility (p = 0.016). Conclusions: Our data suggest that Furin could play a role in SS development, also promoting IFN-\u03b3 secretion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes14050981","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,27]],"date-time":"2023-04-27T02:50:00Z","timestamp":1682563800000},"page":"981","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["PCSK3 Overexpression in Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s Syndrome Patients May Be Regulated by rs4932178 SNP in Its Promoter Region and Correlates with IFN-\u03b3 Gene Expression"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5350-7361","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Latini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giada","family":"De Benedittis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Serena","family":"Colafrancesco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Internal, Anaesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4771-6981","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlo","family":"Perricone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Giorgio Menghini 1, 06129 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7781-602X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Novelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"IRCCS NEUROMED, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy"},{"name":"School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Novelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberta","family":"Priori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"AOU Policlinico Umberto 1, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3995-7032","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cinzia","family":"Ciccacci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Borgiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chivasso, C., Sarrand, J., Perret, J., Delporte, C., and Soyfoo, M.S. 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