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Significance of microRNA-29a as a biological marker in evaluating the effect of mycophenolate mofetil treatment of IgA nephropathy

Zhang Qianqian, Hou Huijuan, Fu Xueguo, Wei Jianxin, Zhou Shuhua, Wang Rong

Objective: This study was designed to analyse the urinary, serum and renal expression of miR-29a of patients diagnosed with IgAN, aiming to elucidate the effect of MMF upon the expression level of miR-29a in IgAN patients.

Methods: Thirty-three patients diagnosed with IgAN by biopsy were assigned in the IgAN group. Serum and urine sampling was collected from 15 healthy volunteers as healthy control group, normal renal tissue from the nephrectomy specimen of 15 patients with renal cell carcinoma in the control group. RTPCR was performed to compare miR-29a level between three groups and explore the effect of MMF on expression level of urinary and serum miR-29a.

Results: Compared with control group, the urinary, serum and renal expression of miR-29a in IgAN group were decreased (P<0.05). Urinary and serum expression of miR-29a inversely correlated with proteinuria (r=-0.322, P<0.05; r=-0.356, P<0.05), and glomerulosclerosis (r=-0.427, P<0.05; r=-0.517, P<0.05) in IgAN group. Urinary expression of miR-29a positively correlated with evaluated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) (r=0.328, P<0.05), inversely correlated with diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.421, P<0.05) in the IgAN group. Serum and intra-renal expression of miR-29a was positively correlated with urinary expression of miR-29a (r=0.713, P<0.05; r=0.322, P<0.05). The serum and urinary levels of miR-29a in the MMF group were significantly higher than those in the IgAN group (both P<0.05).

Conclusion: Urinary and serum miR-29a level were closely correlated with the progression of IgAN. MMF could up-regulate the serum and urinary levels of miR-29a in IgAN patients. Serum and urinary miR-29a probably serve as biological markers to reflect the effect of MMF treated with IgAN.