Plasma Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis as a potential biomarker for gestational diabetes mellitus and neonatal prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the correlations of Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk and neonatal prognosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

First, the blood samples from sixty GDM patients and 60 healthy pregnant women were collected to detect the change of Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The clinical characteristics of GDM patients, healthy controls, and neonates were recorded. Then, the correlation analysis of Lnc-UCA1, miR-138, and Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis levels with clinicopathological characteristics was performed to explore the clinical value of Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis in GDM. Finally, the specificity and sensitivity of Lnc-UCA1, miR-138, and Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis for GDM diagnosis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

Our present study found that, when compared with healthy pregnancies, the expression levels of Lnc-UCA1 and miR-138 were increased and decreased, respectively, and Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis profile was elevated. Second, Lnc-UCA1 and Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis were positively correlated with fasting glucose, one-hour glucose, and two-hour glucose, while miR-138 showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.8196, 0.8021, and 0.8901 for diagnostic efficiencies of Lnc-UCA1, miR-138, and Lnc-UCA1/miR-138, respectively. In addition, higher profiles of Lnc-UCA1 were correlated with birth asphyxia of neonate.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating Lnc-UCA1/miR-138 axis might be involved in the pathogenesis of GDM and could function as a novel and effective biomarker for GDM risk and neonatal prognosis.