Identification of plasma miR-106a-5p and miR-30a-5p as potential biomarkers for mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis

Panel miRNAs are potential diagnostic markers for chronic kidney diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Accurate detection of kidney damage is key to preventing renal failure, and identifying biomarkers is essential for this purpose. We aimed to assess the accuracy of miRNAs as diagnostic tools for chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS

We thoroughly searched five databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and CENTRAL) and performed a meta-analysis using R software. We assessed the overall diagnostic potential using the pooled area under the curve (pAUC), sensitivity (SEN), and specificity (SPE) values and the risk of bias by using the QUADAS-2 tool. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021282785).

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 8351 CKD patients, 2989 healthy individuals, and 4331 people with chronic diseases. Among the single miRNAs, the pooled SEN was 0.82, and the SPE was 0.81 for diabetic nephropathy (DN) vs. diabetes mellitus (DM). The SEN and SPE were 0.91 and 0.89 for DN and healthy controls, respectively. miR-192 was the most frequently reported miRNA in DN patients, with a pAUC of 0.91 and SEN and SPE of 0.89 and 0.89, respectively, compared to those in healthy controls. The panel of miRNAs outperformed the single miRNAs (pAUC of 0.86 vs. 0.79, p < 0.05). The SEN and SPE of the panel miRNAs were 0.89 and 0.73, respectively, for DN vs. DM. In the lupus nephritis (LN) vs. systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohorts, the SEN and SPE were 0.84 and 0.81, respectively. Urinary miRNAs tended to be more effective than blood miRNAs (p = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

MiRNAs show promise as effective diagnostic markers for CKD. The detection of miRNAs in urine and the use of a panel of miRNAs allows more accurate diagnosis.

Differential expression profile of urinary exosomal microRNAs in patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the differential expression profile of urinary exosomal microRNA (miRNA) in patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) and healthy controls and their potential role in the pathogenesis of MsPGN.

METHODS

Urine specimens were collected from five MsPGN patients and five healthy controls, and differentially expressed miRNAs were screened using high-throughput sequencing technology. The sequenced urinary exosomal miRNAs were further investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in a validation cohort (16 MsPGN patients and 16 healthy controls). Correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to determine the association between clinical features and miRNA expression in MsPGN. Finally, fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to detect miRNA expression in the renal tissues of MsPGN patients.

RESULTS

Five differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-125b-2-3p, miR-205-5p, let-7b-3p, miR-1262, and miR-548o-3p) were identified by qRT-PCR. The expression of these miRNAs correlated with ACR, 24hUpro, mAlb, UA, and combined yielded a ROC curve area of 0.916 in discriminating MsPGN patients from the controls. In addition, the expression of miR-205-5p, let-7b-3p, miR-1262, and miR-548o-3p was elevated in the MsPGN patient group, and miR-125b-2-3p was decreased in the MsPGN patient group.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential expression of urinary exosomal miRNAs may pose a risk of MsPGN and help distinguish MsPGN patients from controls. Certain miRNA expressions may be associated with disease progression, contributing to the epigenetic understanding of the pathophysiology of MsPGN.

MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

For Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), the study of microRNA as a biomarker has become an exciting area, so we carried out a meta-analysis to investigate the potential diagnostic values of miRNAs in CKD. We searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of science databases to identify relevant publications published from the establishment of the database to April 30, 2021. We included a total of 26 articles containing 56 studies. There were 4,098 patients with CKD and 2,450 patients without CKD. We found that the overall sensitivity and specificity of miRNAs in CKD diagnosis were 0.86 (95% CI: 0.83–0.89) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75–0.83), respectively. In addition, we plotted the summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve to assess diagnostic accuracy, with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87–0.92). Subgroup analysis showed that sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of miRNAs in plasma and serum were 0.84, 0.78, 0.88; and 0.79, 0.76, 0.83, respectively, while miRNAs in urine were 0.89 for sensitivity, 0.82 for specificity, and 0.92 for AUC. Moreover, we found that the panel of microRNAs (miRNAs) could improve the pooled sensitivity (0.88, 0.81, and 0.91 for sensitivity, specificity, and AUC, respectively). We believe that miRNAs have great potential to become an effective diagnostic biomarker for CKD. Panels of miRNA have higher accuracy than single miRNAs. Additionally, miRNAs in both blood and urine have significant accuracy in the diagnosis of CKD; nevertheless, urine is superior.

MicroRNAs: Potential mediators between particulate matter 2.5 and Th17/Treg immune disorder in primary membranous nephropathy

Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), is an autoimmune glomerular disease and the main reason of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Studies have confirmed that the incidence of PMN increases yearly and is related to fine air pollutants particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) exposure. These imply that PM2.5 may be associated with exposure to PMN-specific autoantigens, such as the M-type receptor for secretory phospholipase A2 (PLA2R1). Emerging evidence indicates that Th17/Treg turns to imbalance under PM2.5 exposure, but the molecular mechanism of this process in PMN has not been elucidated. As an important indicator of immune activity in multiple diseases, Th17/Treg immune balance is sensitive to antigens and cellular microenvironment changes. These immune pathways play an essential role in the disease progression of PMN. Also, microRNAs (miRNAs) are susceptible to external environmental stimulation and play link role between the environment and immunity. The contribution of PM2.5 to PMN may induce Th17/Treg imbalance through miRNAs and then produce epigenetic affection. We summarize the pathways by which PM2.5 interferes with Th17/Treg immune balance and attempt to explore the intermediary roles of miRNAs, with a particular focus on the changes in PMN. Meanwhile, the mechanism of PM2.5 promoting PLA2R1 exposure is discussed. This review aims to clarify the potential mechanism of PM2.5 on the pathogenesis and progression of PMN and provide new insights for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

The urinary exosomes derived from premature infants attenuate cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in mice via microRNA-30a-5p/ mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8)

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a susceptible factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is still a lack of effective prevention methods in clinical practice. This study investigated the protective effect of the urinary exosomes from premature infants on cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. Here we isolated exosomes from the fresh urine of premature infants. A C57BL/6 mice model of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury was given 100 ug urinary exosomes 24 hours after model establishment. The kidneys were collected for pathological examination and the evaluation of renal tubular damage and apoptosis. In the in vitro experiment, human renal cortex/proximal tubular cells (HK-2) were induced by cisplatin to assess the effect of the urine exosomes from premature infants. Exosome microRNA (miRNA) sequencing technology was applied to investigate the miRNAs enriched in exosomes and the dual-luciferase gene reporter system to examine the targeting relationship of the miRNA with target genes. The results indicated that the urinary exosomes could decrease the serum creatinine level and the apoptosis of renal tubular cells, and reduce mice mortality. In addition, miR-30a-5p was the most abundant miRNA in the exosomes. It protected HK-2 cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis by targeting and down-regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8). Together, our findings identified that the urinary exosomes derived from premature infants alleviated cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury and inhibited the apoptosis of HK-2 via miR-30a-5p, which could target MAPK8. These findings implied that urinary exosomes from premature infants riched in miR-30a-5p might become a potential treatment for AKI.

Inhibition of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 affects mesangial cell proliferation and cell cycle in mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis

To explore the role of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) in mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN). SOCS-3 expression in kidney tissues from MsPGN patients was detected using immunohistochemistry. Double immunofluorescence staining was performed to investigate the localization of SOCS-3 with α-SMA in glomeruli. Heminephrectomized wild-type (WT) and SOCS-3^-/- (KO) mice were injected with Habu-snake venom (HSV) to establish MsPGN models, and renal function were compared. Simultaneously, immunofluorescence, periodic acid-Schiff staining, Picrosirius red staining, as well as immunohistochemistry for PCNA, MAC-2 and type IV collagen in glomeruli were performed. In addition, primary mouse renal mesangial cells and SV40 MES-13 cells were transfected with SOCS-3 siRNA or SOCS-3 lentiviral activation particles, followed by EdU assay, flow cytometry, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. Mesangial SOCS-3 expression was enhanced in glomeruli of MsPGN patients, and SOCS-3 was well co-localized with activated α-SMA. After HSV injection, WT and KO mice presented with the increases in the serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and urinary protein, especially in KO mice. Besides, SOCS-3^-/- alleviated the hyperplasia of glomerular MCs in MsPGN mice, with the reductions in PCNA, MAC-2, and collagen deposition. Furthermore, SOCS-3 inhibition reduced the cell proportion at S phase to suppress cell proliferation, with the downregulations of Cyclin A, Cyclin D1, PCNA, and Ki-67. SOCS-3 knockout can alleviate the hyperplasia of glomerular MCs in MsPGN mice via affecting the cell cycle and proliferation of MCs, thus being a potential therapeutic target for MsPGN.