Correlation between serum miR-154-5p and urinary albumin excretion rates in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional cohort study

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum miR-154-5p and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the association with biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A total of 390 patients with T2DM were divided into three groups: normal albuminuria (UACR < 30 mg/g, n = 136, NA), microalbuminuria (UACR at 30-300 mg/g, n = 132, MA), and clinical albuminuria (UACR > 300 mg/g, n = 122, CA). Circulating miR-154-5p, inflammatory (C-reactive protein (CRP); erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR); and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and fibrotic markers (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1); and fibronectin (FN)), and other biochemical indicators were assessed via real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and chemiluminescence assay in patients with T2DM and 138 control subjects (NC). UACR, miR-154-5p, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum creatinine (sCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), ESR, CRP, VEGF, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and FN were significantly higher and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower in NA, MA, and CA groups than in NC subjects (P < 0.05). Elevated levels of UACR and miR-154-5p were directly correlated with HbA1c, sCr, BUN, ESR, CRP, VEGF, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and FN and negatively correlated with eGFR (P < 0.05). miR-154-5p, HbA1c, sCr, BUN, eGFR, ESR, CRP, VEGF, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and FN were important factors affecting UACR. These findings indicated that elevated serum miR-154-5p is significantly correlated with high UACR in patients with T2DM and may offer a novel reference for the early diagnosis of DKD.