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MicroRNA-29a and microRNA-122 expressions and other inflammatory markers among obese children with diabetes
Nervana M K Bayoumy1, Mohamed M El-Shabrawi2, Wafaa Elsayed3
1Physiology Department, College of Medicine, Center of Excellence in Thrombosis & Hemostasis, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Obese children with diabetes show higher microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 levels and inflammatory markers, but lower sestrin-2. These microRNAs may play a role in childhood obesity development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Obesity is a growing global health concern in children, often associated with metabolic complications like type 2 diabetes.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and are implicated in various diseases, including metabolic disorders.
- Inflammatory markers and specific proteins like sestrin-2 are increasingly recognized as players in the pathophysiology of obesity and diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression levels of microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 in obese children with and without diabetes mellitus.
- To measure serum levels of sestrin-2 and inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) in these pediatric populations.
- To explore correlations between miRNA expressions, sestrin-2 levels, inflammatory markers, and various metabolic parameters.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 100 obese children with diabetes, 100 obese children without diabetes, and 100 healthy controls.
- Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 expression.
- Serum levels of sestrin-2, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were determined using appropriate assays.
Main Results:
- Obese children with diabetes exhibited significantly higher expressions of microRNA-29a and microRNA-122, along with elevated IL-6, TNF-α, and hsCRP levels, compared to both obese non-diabetic and healthy children.
- Serum sestrin-2 levels were significantly lower in obese children with diabetes.
- MicroRNA expressions correlated positively with numerous metabolic and inflammatory markers, while sestrin-2 showed an inverse correlation.
Conclusions:
- Elevated microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 expressions in obese children, particularly those with diabetes, suggest their potential involvement in the pathogenesis of childhood obesity and related metabolic dysfunction.
- The findings propose that down-regulation of these microRNAs might be a therapeutic target, warranting further investigation.
Objectives:
This study was conducted to study the expression of both microRNA-29a and microRNA-122, and serum levels of sestrin-2, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and other inflammatory markers among obese children with/and without diabetes mellitus.
Methods:
One hundred obese children with diabetes in addition to 100 age- and sex-matched obese children without diabetes, and 100 age- and sex-matched apparently healthy children were included in the study. Expressions of both microRNA-29a and microRNA-122, and serum levels of sestrin-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high sensitive-CRP (hsCRP) were measured for all included study populations.
Results:
Study results showed that the expressions of both microRNA-29a and microRNA-122, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and hsCRP were significantly higher among obese children with diabetes in comparison to both obese children without diabetes and healthy children. In contrast, serum sestrin level was significantly low among obese children with diabetes in comparison to the other study populations. Expressions of both microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 were correlated with waist circumference, BMI, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HbA1c, c-peptide, glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), IL-6, hsCRP, and TNF-α among obese children with diabetes. However, serum sestrin-2 level was correlated inversely with these parameters. Higher expressions of both microRNA-29a and microRNA-122 among obese children either with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) can suggest their roles in the development of obesity among children.
Conclusions:
The study results can hypothesize that down-regulation of these micro-RNAs may solve this health problem with its sequelae, a hypothesis that needs more studies.
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