SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.
Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Parow, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 8;12(1):4107. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08175-3.
The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Africa remains poorly characterized, due partly to the lack of appropriate diagnostic strategies. Although in recent years the diagnostic and prognostic utility of microRNAs (miRNAs) have gained prominence in the context of CKD, its value has not been evaluated in African populations. We investigated the expression of whole blood miRNAs (miR-126-3p, -30a-5p, -1299, -182-5p and -30e-3p) in a total sample of 1449 comprising of 13.3% individuals with CKD (stage 1-5) and 26.4% male participants, as well as the association of these miRNAs with prevalent CKD, in a community-based sample of South African adults. We used Reverse Transcription Quantitative Real-Time PCR (RT-qPCR) to analyze miRNA expression. There was an increased expression in whole blood miR-126-3p, -30a-5p, -1299 and -182-5p in individuals with CKD, compared to those without (all p ≤ 0.036), whereas miR-30e-3p showed no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.482). Only miR-126-3p, -182-5p and -30e-3p were independently associated with increased risk of CKD (all p ≤ 0.022). This study showed for the first time that there is a dysregulation of whole blood miR-126-3p, -30a-5p, -1299 and -182-5p in South Africans of mixed-ancestry with CKD. More research is needed to ascertain their role in CKD risk screening in African populations.
非洲慢性肾脏病（CKD）的负担特点仍不清楚，部分原因是缺乏适当的诊断策略。尽管近年来 microRNAs（miRNAs）在 CKD 背景下的诊断和预后效用得到了重视，但在非洲人群中尚未对其进行评估。我们研究了全血 miRNA（miR-126-3p、-30a-5p、-1299、-182-5p 和 -30e-3p）在总共 1449 例个体中的表达情况，其中包括 13.3%的 CKD（1-5 期）患者和 26.4%的男性参与者，以及这些 miRNA 与南非成年人社区样本中普遍存在的 CKD 的关联。我们使用逆转录定量实时 PCR（RT-qPCR）分析 miRNA 表达。与无 CKD 个体相比，CKD 患者全血 miR-126-3p、-30a-5p、-1299 和 -182-5p 的表达增加（均 p≤0.036），而 miR-30e-3p 在两组之间无显著差异（p=0.482）。只有 miR-126-3p、-182-5p 和 -30e-3p 与 CKD 风险增加独立相关（均 p≤0.022）。这项研究首次表明，混合血统的南非人 CKD 患者全血 miR-126-3p、-30a-5p、-1299 和 -182-5p 存在失调。需要进一步研究以确定它们在非洲人群 CKD 风险筛查中的作用。
