ABSTRACT
[Summary] The aim of this study was to detect the levels of serum miR-130b expression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to analyze their correlation with diabetic renal damage. 243 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into three groups according to urinary albumin/creatinine ratio ( UACR ): normoalbuminuria group (UACR300 mg/g, n=54). The levels of serum miR-130b were validated by realtime polymerase chain reaction. Serum transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) in all patients and 59 healthy volunteers. Compared with control group, the level of serum miR-130b in the type 2 diabetes mellitus group were significantly decreased, gradually with the increases of UACR. The level of serum miR-130b was inversely correlated with blood urea nitrogen ( r=-0. 295, P<0.05), serum creatinine(r=-0. 316, P<0. 05), UACR(r=-0. 463, P<0. 05), but positively related to the estimated glomerular filtration rate(r=0. 367, P<0. 01). The level of serum miR-130b was also negatively correlated to homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 (r=-0. 257,-0. 345,-0. 242,-0. 562,-0. 622, all P<0. 01). The present study indicates that serum miR-130b might be a potential new biomarker for early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy. Serum miR-130b might be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.