Plasma miR-193a-3p can be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy

MicroRNA193a: An Emerging Mediator of Glomerular Diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding small RNAs that regulate the protein expression of coding messenger RNAs. They are used as biomarkers to aid in diagnosing, prognosticating, and surveillance of diseases, especially solid cancers. MiR-193a was shown to be directly pathogenic in an experimental mouse model of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) during the last decade. Its specific binding and downregulation of Wilm's tumor-1 (WT-1), a transcription factor regulating podocyte phenotype, is documented. Also, miR-193a is a regulator switch causing the transdifferentiation of glomerular parietal epithelial cells to a podocyte phenotype in in vitro study. Interaction between miR-193a and apolipoprotein 1 (APOL1) mRNA in glomeruli (filtration units of kidneys) is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of common glomerular diseases. Since the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in the role of miR-193a in glomerular diseases, including diabetic nephropathy and membranous nephropathy, besides FSGS. Considering the lack of biomarkers to manage FSGS and diabetic nephropathy clinically, it is worthwhile to invest in evaluating miR-193a in the pathogenesis of these diseases. What causes the upregulation of miR-193a in FSGS and how the mechanism is different in different glomerular disorders still need to be elucidated. This narrative review highlights the pathogenic mechanisms of miR-193a elevation in various glomerular diseases and its potential use in clinical management.

The Role of MicroRNA in the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common and severe complications of diabetes mellitus, affecting one in every five patients suffering from diabetes. Despite extensive research, the exact pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is still unclear. Several factors and pathways are known to be involved in the development of the disease, such as reactive oxygen species or the activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. The expression of those proteins might be extensively regulated by microRNA. Recent research suggests that in diabetic nephropathy patients, the profile of miRNA is significantly changed. In this review, we focus on the actions of miRNA in various pathways involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and the clinical usage of miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

MicroRNAs Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease in the General Population and High-Risk Subgroups-A Systematic Review

The potential utility of microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets, for chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been advocated. However, studies evaluating the expression profile of the same miRNA signatures in CKD report contradictory findings. This review aimed to characterize miRNAs associated with CKD and/or measures of kidney function and kidney damage in the general population, and also in high-risk subgroups, including people with hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Medline via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost databases were searched to identify relevant studies published in English or French languages on or before 30 September 2022. A total of 75 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria: CKD (n = 18), diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (n = 51) and HTN-associated CKD (n = 6), with no study reporting on miRNA profiles in people with HIV-associated nephropathy. In individuals with CKD, miR-126 and miR-223 were consistently downregulated, whilst in DKD, miR-21 and miR-29b were consistently upregulated and miR-30e and let-7a were consistently downregulated in at least three studies. These findings suggest that these miRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of CKD and therefore invites further research to explore their clinical utility for CKD prevention and control.

High-glucose induced toxicity in HK-2 cells can be alleviated by inhibition of miRNA-320c

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major healthcare challenge worldwide. MiRNAs exert a regulatory effect on the progress of DN. Our study proposed to investigate the miR-320c expression and its function on the pathogenesis of DN in vitro. The level of miR-320c in HK-2 cells was quantified by RT-qPCR. Cell morphology, invasion, and migration were observed by optical microscope, Transwell invasion assay, and scratch wound assay. Then, the levels of PTEN, α-SMA, vimentin, E-cadherin, p-PI3K, PI3K, AKT, and p-AKT were analyzed through western blotting. A Dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to explore the target relationship between miR-320c and PTEN. It was discovered that miR-320c was over-expressed in high glucose (HG)-treated HK-2 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-320c could alleviate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HG-induced HK-2 cells and retain the normal morphology of HK-2 cells. Additionally, the miR-320c inhibitor decreased the invasiveness and migration of HG-treated HK-2 cells. Next, the target gene of miR-320c, PTEN, was identified, and the function of miR-320c was reversed by down-regulation of PTEN. Finally, we found inhibition of miR-320c restrained the PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, inhibition of miR-320c could alleviate toxicity of HK-2 cells induced by HG via targeting PTEN and restraining the PI3K/AKT pathway, illustrating that miR-320c may act as a new biomarker in the diagnosis of DN.

Analysis of serum circulating MicroRNAs level in Malaysian patients with gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a severe global issue that requires immediate attention. MicroRNA expression abnormalities are possibly disease-specific and may contribute to GDM pathological processes. To date, there is limited data on miRNA profiling in GDM, especially that involves a longitudinal study. Here, we performed miRNA expression profiling in the entire duration of pregnancy (during pregnancy until parturition and postpartum) using a miRNA- polymerase chain reaction array (miRNA-PCRArray) and in-silico analysis to identify unique miRNAs expression and their anticipated target genes in Malay maternal serum. MiRNA expression levels and their unique potential as biomarkers were explored in this work. In GDM patients, the expression levels of hsa-miR-193a, hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-23a, and hsa-miR-361 were significantly increased, but miR-130a was significantly downregulated. The area under the curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve study demonstrated that hsa-miR-193a (AUC = 0.89060 ± 04,470, P = 0.0001), hsa-miR-21 (AUC = 0.89500 ± 04,411, P = 0.0001), and miR-130a (AUC = 0.6939 ± 0.05845, P = 0.0025) had potential biomarker features in GDM. In-silico analysis also revealed that KLF (Kruppel-Like family of transcription factor), ZNF25 (Zinc finger protein 25), AFF4 (ALF transcription elongation factor 4), C1orf143 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2869), SRSF2 (serine and arginine rich splicing factor 2), and ZNF655 (Zinc finger protein 655) were prominent genes targeted by the common nodes of miR23a, miR130, miR193a, miR21, and miR361.Our findings suggest that circulating microRNAs in the first trimester has the potential for GDM screening in the Malay population.

Significance of serum miR-29a in the occurrence and progression of diabetic nephropathy: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a common microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is an important factor causing chronic kidney disease. However, the relationship between miR-29a and DN remains unknown. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted to identify a potential molecular biomarker for DN prevention and management by detecting the serum miR-29a levels.

METHODS

The serum miR-29a levels were measured in 360 subjects (180 T2DM patients and 180 healthy controls) using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and other conventional indicators were measured and analysed. A binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the DN risk factors; a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyse the diagnostic efficacy of miR-29a for DN, and a Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between serum miR-29a and cystatin C.

RESULTS

The serum miR-29 levels in the T2DM patients were higher than those in the healthy subjects and significantly increased with the progression of DN (p < 0.05). Serum miR-29a and cystatin C are independent predictors of the occurrence of DN. Compared with a single indicator, the combination of serum miR-29a and cystatin C has better DN diagnostic performance. In addition, the serum miR-29a levels were positively correlated with cystatin C in the patients with DN (r = 0.521, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The expression of serum miR-29a was significantly associated with the occurrence and progression of DN and is expected to become a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of DN.

MicroRNA (miR)-590-3p alleviates high-glucose induced renal tubular epithelial cell damage by targeting C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) in diabetic nephropathy

We attempted to analyze the clinical value of microRNA (miR)-590-3p in diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients and its role in high glucose (HG)-induced renal tubular epithelial cell (HK-2) injury. Serum levels of miR-590-3p were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Spearman correlation coefficient analysis of the correlation between miR-590-3p and clinical indicators. The diagnostic value of miR-590-3p was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Then, the DN cell model induced by HG in HK-2 cells was established. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, and CCK-8 assay were employed to assess cell inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and proliferation. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the target of miR-590-3p. Serum miR-590-3p was reduced in patients of DN, which was positively correlated with eGFR and negatively associated with albuminuria. Furthermore, miR-590-3p also can diagnose patients of DN from healthy subjects or patients of T2DM. Furthermore, miR-590-3p was decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner during HG-induction. miR-590-3p overexpression bated HG-induced inhibition effect on cell proliferation and promotion effects on apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand1 (CX3CL1) is the target of miR-590-3p, whose levels were enhanced in DN patients and are negatively regulated by miR-590-3p. Our discoveries offered new insights that reduced miR-590-3p as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of DN, and elevated miR-590-3p can alleviate renal tubular injury by HG-induced through targeting CX3XL1, which may be a novel target for improving the development of DN.

Identification of Hub Genes and Potential ceRNA Networks of Diabetic Nephropathy by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common microvascular complications in diabetic patients, and is the main cause of end-stage renal disease. The exact molecular mechanism of DN is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to identify novel biomarkers and mechanisms for DN disease progression by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). From the GSE142153 dataset based on the peripheral blood monouclear cells (PBMC) of DN, we identified 234 genes through WGCNA and differential expression analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations mainly included inflammatory response, leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, and positive regulation of proteolysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways mostly included IL-17 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and PPAR signaling pathway in DN. A total of four hub genes (IL6, CXCL8, MMP9 and ATF3) were identified by cytoscape, and the relative expression levels of hub genes were also confirmed by RT-qPCR. ROC curve analysis determined that the expression of the four genes could distinguish DN from controls (the area under the curve is all greater than 0.8), and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis suggested that the expression of the four genes was related to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of DN. Finally, through database prediction and literature screening, we constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. We propose that NEAT1/XIST/KCNQ1T1-let-7b-5p-IL6, NEAT1/XIST-miR-93-5p-CXCL8 and NEAT1/XIST/KCNQ1T1-miR-27a-3p/miR-16-5p-ATF3 might be potential RNA regulatory pathways to regulate the disease progression of early DN. In conclusion, we identified four hub genes, namely, IL6, CXCL8, MMP9, and ATF3, as markers for early diagnosis of DN, and provided insight into the mechanisms of disease development in DN at the transcriptome level.

miRNA-483-5p Targets HDCA4 to Regulate Renal Tubular Damage in Diabetic Nephropathy

This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-483-5p in diabetic nephropathy (DN), and its effect and mechanism on apoptosis and inflammation of human proximal renal tubular cells (HK2) induced by high glucose (HG). Thirty healthy controls, 30 types 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and 28 DN patients were enrolled. miR-483-5p mRNA levels in serum were analyzed by RT-qPCR assays. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the diagnostic value of miR-483-5p in DN. HK2 cells were induced by HG to establish an in vitro study model. CCK-8 and flow cytometry was used to detect cell viability, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Inflammation levels were measured by ELISA. Luciferase reporter assay was used to detect target genes of miR-483-5p. miR-483-5p was decreased in DN patients. The decreased level of miR-483-5p was positively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and negatively correlated with proteinuria. miR-483-5p can significantly distinguish DN patients from healthy controls and T2DM and has a high diagnostic value. miR-483-5p decreased in HK2 cells induced by HG, and overexpression of miR-483-5p reversed HG-induced decreased cell activity, increased apoptosis, ROS production, and inflammation. Histone deacetylase 4 (HDCA4) was markedly increased in DN patients and HG-induced HK2 cells. miR-483-5p directly targeted HDCA4, and increasing miR-483-5p inhibited HDCA4 increased in HG-induced HK2. In conclusion, the results indicate that reduction of miR-483-5p has a high diagnostic value in DN, and overexpression of miR-483-5p has a certain protective effect on HK2 cells induced by HG by targeting HDCA4.