LncRNA MEG8 is upregulated in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and predicted kidney injury.

LncRNA MEG8 can be induced by high glucose, indicating the potential role of this lncRNA in high glucose-induced diseases, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In this study, a 6-year follow-up was performed on 400 females who had a plan for pregnancy. It was observed that patients with high pre-pregnancy plasma level of MEG8 showed high incidence rate of GDM during pregnancy. The patients with GDM had significantly higher levels of MEG8 in plasma. Plasm levels of MEG8 at one month before the diagnosis of GDM was sufficient to distinguish GDM patients from healthy controls. In addition, this study revealed that GDM patients who had higher level of MEG8 (on the day of discharge) showed significantly higher incidence of kidney injury. Therefore, these results suggest that MEG8 is upregulated in GDM and predicted kidney injury.