Serum MicroRNA-191-5p Levels in Vascular Complications of Type 1 Diabetes: the EURODIAB Prospective Complications Study

Context: MicroRNA-191-5p regulates key cellular processes involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications such as angiogenesis, extracellular matrix deposition, and inflammation. However, no data on circulating microRNA-191-5p in the chronic complications of diabetes are available. Objective: To assess whether serum levels of microRNA-191-5p were associated with micro- and macrovascular disease in a large cohort of subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) from the EURODIAB Prospective Complication Study. Design and Setting: Levels of microRNA-191-5p were measured by quantitative PCR in 420 patients with DM1 recruited as part of the cross-sectional analysis of the EURODIAB Prospective Complication Study. Cases (n = 277) were subjects with nephropathy and/or retinopathy and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Controls (n = 143) were patients without complications. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the potential independent association of microRNA-191-5p levels with chronic complications of diabetes. Results: Levels of microRNA-191-5p were significantly reduced (P < .001) in cases compared with controls even after adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes duration. Logistic regression analysis revealed that microRNA-191-5p was negatively associated with a 58% reduced odds ratio (OR) of chronic diabetes complications, specifically CVD, micro-macroalbuminuria, and retinopathy (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23-0.77), independent of age, sex, physical activity, educational levels, diabetes duration, glycated hemoglobin, total insulin dose, hypertension, smoking, total cholesterol, albumin excretion rate, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Analyses performed separately for each complication demonstrated a significant independent association with albuminuria (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, (0.18-0.75) and CVD (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16-0.70). Conclusions: In DM1 subjects, microRNA-191-5p is inversely associated with vascular chronic complications of diabetes.