Comparisons of serum miRNA expression profiles in patients with diabetic retinopathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: Clinics (São Paulo, Brazil) Brazil), 2017-02, Vol.72 (2), p.111-115
• Main Authors: Ma, Jianping, Wang, Jufang, Liu, Yanfen, Wang, Changyi, Duan, Donghui, Lu, Nanjia, Wang, Kaiyue, Zhang, Lu, Gu, Kaibo, Chen, Sihan, Zhang, Tao, You, Dingyun, Han, Liyuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Clinical Science; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - genetics; Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetic Retinopathy - blood; Diabetic Retinopathy - genetics; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; MicroRNAs - blood; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Serum miRNAs; Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 1807-5932; 1980-5322; 1980-5322
• DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2017(02)08

The aim of this study was to compare the expression levels of serum miRNAs in diabetic retinopathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum miRNA expression profiles from diabetic retinopathy cases (type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with diabetic retinopathy) and type 2 diabetes mellitus controls (type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without diabetic retinopathy) were examined by miRNA-specific microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to validate the significantly differentially expressed serum miRNAs from the microarray analysis of 45 diabetic retinopathy cases and 45 age-, sex-, body mass index- and duration-of-diabetes-matched type 2 diabetes mellitus controls. The relative changes in serum miRNA expression levels were analyzed using the 2-ΔΔCt method. A total of 5 diabetic retinopathy cases and 5 type 2 diabetes mellitus controls were included in the miRNA-specific microarray analysis. The serum levels of miR-3939 and miR-1910-3p differed significantly between the two groups in the screening stage; however, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction did not reveal significant differences in miRNA expression for 45 diabetic retinopathy cases and their matched type 2 diabetes mellitus controls. Our findings indicate that miR-3939 and miR-1910-3p may not play important roles in the development of diabetic retinopathy; however, studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our findings.