Expression Levels of miR-30c and miR-186 in Adult Patients with Membranous Glomerulonephritis and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Abstract

Background

Nephrotic syndrome is a common renal problem with different histopathogenesis. MicroRNAs are reported to be involved in the pathophysiology of the syndrome. The aim of this study was to study the levels of miR-30c and miR-186 in NS patients.

Methods

Sixty patients with primary NS (membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN, N=30) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS, N=30)) and 24 healthy volunteers were included. Expression levels of the miR-30c and miR-186 were evaluated in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples of adult patients with NS using real-time PCR. Moreover, an in-silico analysis was performed to understand the signaling pathways and biological procedures that may be regulated by these miRNAs.

Results

In the MGN group, significantly elevated levels of miR-30c and miR-186 were observed in PBMC (P= 0.037) and plasma (P= 0.035) samples, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant increase in miR-30c levels in PBMC samples of the FSGS group when compared to healthy controls (P= 0.004). In ROC curve analysis, combined levels of the studied miRNAs could discriminate cases from controls in plasma and blood cells (AUC≥0.72, P<0.05).

Conclusion

A panel of miRNAs may be potential biomarkers in plasma and PBMCs samples of NS patients with different subclasses. More investigations are needed with a large sample size to validate the diagnostic values of the reported miRNAs.

Keywords:

• nephrotic syndrome
• proteinuria
• membranous glomerulonephritis
• focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
• microRNAs
• biomarker

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully thank to Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences and Department of Biochemistry at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences for their technical support. The authors wish to express their gratitude toward the Nephrology Ward of Imam-Reza Hospital for their honest assistance in sampling. We also want to express special gratitude to Dr. Milad Bastami and Dr. Ziba Nariman-Saleh-Fam for designing the primers and performing bioinformatics analysis.

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. This study was certified by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (IR.TBZMED.REC.1396.912). By providing written informed consent, subjects agreed to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Kidney Research Center at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (MSc. Thesis No: 96/2–3/13).