The association of miR-29a with proteinuria in essential hypertension

Recently, miRNAs have emerged as new indirect markers of inflammation that are associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between miR29a and proteinuria in hypertension. Fifty patients with normal albuminuria, fifty patients with micro-albuminuria, and fifty patients with macro-albuminuria were enrolled. The highest levels of miR-29a and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were observed in the macro-albuminuria group, followed by the micro-albuminuria and the normal albuminuria groups. The level of miR-29a was negatively correlated with the glomerular filtration rate, but was positively correlated with C-reactive protein, TGF-β1, and the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). Circulating miR-29a was found to be significantly and independently associated with proteinuria. Our findings showed that miR-29a reflects the pathogenesis of hypertensive nephropathy and may serve as a potential non-invasive marker for detecting early stages of hypertensive nephropathy.