Differential microRNA expression in the serum of patients with nephrotic syndrome and clinical correlation analysis.

Many different microRNAs existed in nephrotic syndrome patients, and they may be involved in nephrotic syndrome occurrence. In order to further clarify miRNAs expression changes in nephrotic syndrome patients and their correlation with clinical features, this study investigated differential microRNA expression in the peripheral serum of patients with nephrotic syndrome and analyzed the correlation between miRNA with largest overexpression level and clinical features. miRNAs microarray was applied to screen different expressed miRNAs in nephrotic syndrome patients. Real-time PCR was performed to verify miRNA expression level. SPSS software was used to analyze correlation between miRNA expression and clinical features. Compared with healthy subjects, 35 miRNAs overexpressed and 24 miRNAs down-regulated in patients. After real-time PCR verification, 6 miRNAs up-regulated in nephrotic syndrome patients, including hsa-miR-181a, hsa-miR-210, hsa-miR-30a, hsa-miR-942, hsa-miR-192 and hsa-miR-586. miRNA-30a significantly overexpressed in nephrotic syndrome patients and with no difference between genders. miRNA-30a expression level in drug resistant nephrotic syndrome patients was obviously higher than the drug sensitive patients. miRNA-30a up-regulated most significantly in mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis among different pathology types, while it decreased most obviously in glomerular lesions. miRNA differently expressed in the serum of nephrotic syndrome patients. miRNA-30a could be treated as the molecular marker in predict drug resistance and pathological type of nephrotic syndrome.