Circulating microRNAs in young individuals with long-duration type 1 diabetes in comparison with healthy controls

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 11634
• Main Authors: Swolin-Eide, Diana, Forsander, Gun, Pundziute Lyckå, Auste, Novak, Daniel, Grillari, Johannes, Diendorfer, Andreas B., Hackl, Matthias, Magnusson, Per
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.07.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/163/2743/137; 692/53; Adolescent; AKT1 protein; Blood cells; Case-Control Studies; Circulating MicroRNA; Circulating MicroRNA - genetics; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - genetics; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Insulin-like growth factor I; Insulin-like growth factors; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; multidisciplinary; Pediatrics; Pediatrik; Post-transcription; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Thyroid; Type 1
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38615-7

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that are involved in post-transcriptional control of gene expression and might be used as biomarkers for diabetes-related complications. The aim of this case–control study was to explore potential differences in circulating miRNAs in young individuals with long-duration type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared to healthy controls, and how identified miRNAs are expressed across different tissues. Twelve adolescents, age 15.0–17.9 years, with T1D duration of more than 8 years (mean 11.1 years), were enrolled from the Swedish diabetes quality registry. An age-matched control group was recruited. Circulating miRNAs (n = 187) were analyzed by quantitative PCR. We observed that 27 miRNAs were upregulated and one was downregulated in T1D. Six of these miRNAs were tissue-enriched (blood cells, gastrointestinal, nerve, and thyroid tissues). Six miRNAs with the largest difference in plasma, five up-regulated (hsa-miR-101-3p, hsa-miR-135a-5p, hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-223-3p and hsa-miR-410-3p (novel for T1D)) and one down-regulated (hsa-miR-495-3p), with P -values below 0.01, were selected for further in-silico analyses. AKT1, VEGFA and IGF-1 were identified as common targets. In conclusion, 28 of the investigated miRNAs were differently regulated in long-duration T1D in comparison with controls. Several associations with cancer were found for the six miRNAs with the largest difference in plasma.