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

Abstract

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.