International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Oct 2020)

MicroRNA Expression in the Aqueous Humor of Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema

  • Giuseppina Emanuela Grieco,
  • Guido Sebastiani,
  • Chiara Maria Eandi,
  • Giovanni Neri,
  • Laura Nigi,
  • Noemi Brusco,
  • Romina D'Aurizio,
  • Matteo Posarelli,
  • Tommaso Bacci,
  • Elena De Benedetto,
  • Mario Fruschelli,
  • Maurizio Orlandini,
  • Federico Galvagni,
  • Francesco Dotta,
  • Gian Marco Tosi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21197328
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 19
p. 7328

Abstract

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We identified and compared secreted microRNA (miRNA) expression in aqueous humor (AH) and plasma samples among patients with: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) complicated by non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) associated with diabetic macular edema (DME) (DME group: 12 patients); T2D patients without DR (D group: 8 patients); and non-diabetic patients (CTR group: 10 patients). Individual patient AH samples from five subjects in each group were profiled on TaqMan Low Density MicroRNA Array Cards. Differentially expressed miRNAs identified from profiling were then validated in single assay for all subjects. The miRNAs validated in AH were then evaluated in single assay in plasma. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was conducted. From AH profiling, 119 mature miRNAs were detected: 86 in the DME group, 113 in the D group and 107 in the CTR group. miRNA underexpression in the DME group was confirmed in single assay for let-7c-5p, miR-200b-3p, miR-199a-3p and miR-365-3p. Of these four, miR-199a-3p and miR-365-3p were downregulated also in the plasma of the DME group. GO highlighted 54 validated target genes of miR-199a-3p, miR-200b-3p and miR-365-3p potentially implied in DME pathogenesis. Although more studies are needed, miR-200b-3p, let-7c-5p, miR-365-3p and miR-199a-3p represent interesting molecules in the study of DME pathogenesis.

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