Associations between physical activity-related miRNAs and metabolic syndrome

The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between physical activity (PA)-related miRNAs and metabolic syndrome (MetS). A case-control study was conducted in 209 subjects with MetS and 234 controls. The MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) criteria of 2005. Serum PA-related miRNAs were detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Association analysis was performed by logistic regression models. The expression levels of miR-126 and miR-130a were lower in the highest metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-h/week) quartile than in the lowest quartile [miR-126: Q5 vs. Q1, median (5-95%), 1.67 (0.54, 2.45) vs. 1.35 (0.45, 2.45), p=0.012; miR-130a: Q5 vs. Q1, median (5-95%), 0.90 (0.44, 1.35) vs. 0.53 (0.26, 1.01), p<0.001]. However, miR-197 exhibited a trend with increased MET-h/week [Q5 vs. Q1, median (5-95%), 1.35 (0.45, 2.63) vs. 2.18 (0.87, 4.77), p=0.009]. MiR-126 increased MetS risk significantly while the effect of miR-197 was opposite (miR-126: OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.07-1.75; p=0.012; miR-197: OR=0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.92; p=0.010). Individuals in the highest MET-h/week quartile had lower prevalence and odds rate of MetS compared with those in the lowest quartile (Q4 vs. Q1: OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.33-1.05; p for trend=0.026). However, further adjustment of both PA associated miRNAs abolished that association. All these results suggested that the association between PA and MetS risk might partly depend on miR-126 and miR-197.