AUTHOR=Greco Marta , Chiefari Eusebio , Accattato Francesca , Corigliano Domenica M. , Arcidiacono Biagio , Mirabelli Maria , Liguori Rossella , Brunetti Francesco S. , Pullano Salvatore A. , Scorcia Vincenzo , Fiorillo Antonino S. , Foti Daniela P. , Brunetti Antonio
TITLE=MicroRNA-1281 as a Novel Circulating Biomarker in Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology
VOLUME=11
YEAR=2020
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00528
DOI=10.3389/fendo.2020.00528
ISSN=1664-2392
ABSTRACT=Objective: Recently, the role of circulating miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for the identification and monitoring of diabetes microvascular complications has emerged. Herein, we aimed to: identify circulating miRNAs differentially expressed in patients with and without diabetic retinopathy (DR); examine their predictive value; and understand their pathogenic impact.
Methods: Pooled serum samples from randomly selected matched patients with type 2 diabetes, either with or without DR, were used for initial serum miRNA profiling. Validation of the most relevant miRNAs was thereafter conducted by RT-qPCR in an extended sample of patients with DR and matched controls.
Results: Following miRNA profiling, 43 miRNAs were significantly up- or down-regulated in patients with DR compared with controls. After individual validation, 5 miRNAs were found significantly overexpressed in patients with DR. One of them, miR-1281, was the most up-regulated and appeared to be specifically related to DR. Furthermore, secreted levels of miR-1281 were increased in high glucose-cultured retinal cells, and there was evidence of a potential link between glucose-induced miR-1281 up-regulation and DR.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest miR-1281 as a circulating biomarker of DR. Also, they highlight the pathogenic significance of miR-1281, providing insights for a new potential target in treating DR.