AIM: To detect the expression of miR-486-3p in human pterygium tissue and normal conjunctival tissue and explore the possible mechanism of miR-486-3p in the development of pterygium.

METHODS: Totally 69 patients 69 eyes with primary pterygium treat in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and Hankou Aier Eye Hospital from September 2018 to December 2019 were collected by excision of pterygium during surgery(experimental group). At the same time, a total of 69 patients with normal conjunctival tissue of their same eyes were taken as control group during surgery. The relative expression levels of miR-486-3p in the experimental group and the control group were quantitatively detected by RT-PCR. The Targetscan database, miWalk3.0 database and miRDB database were used to predict the potential target genes of miR-486-3p. DAVID database was used to analyse and enrich the function and pathway of the potential target genes of miR-486-3p. The String website performed an interactional analysis of the potential target genes of miR-486-3p.

RESULTS: The relative expression level of miR-486-3p in the experimental group(6.183±1.366)×10^-6 was significantly different from that in the control group(7.930±1.394)×10^-5(P<0.0001). By the prediction of their target genes and bioinformatical analysis, a total of 436 potential target genes of miR-486-3p were found. The biological functions were mainly concentrated in the regulation of RNA polymerase II promoter transcription, vesicle-mediated transport, transcriptional regulation and the regulation of DNA-dependent RNA metabolism. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway was mainly enriched in the Axon guidance pathway and lysosomal pathway. And the Axon guidance pathway might play an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of pterygium. PPI network analysis further elucidated that the key genes of ABL1 and PLXNA1(cell protein receptor A1)play an important role in the Axon guidance pathway for pterygium.

CONCLUSION: MiR-486-3p might be involved in the occurrence and development of pterygium through SLIT(neuro-targeting factor)/Robo(rotatory guide receptor)and SEMA3A(neuro-guiding factor Semaphorin 3A)/ PLXNA1 of Axon guidance pathways, which resulted in the abnormal new blood vessels of pterygium.