Open AccessSerum miR-204 is an early biomarker of type 1 diabetes-associated pancreatic beta-cell loss
Author(s) -
Guanlan Xu,
Lance Thielen,
Junqin Chen,
Truman Grayson,
Tiffany Grimes,
S. Louis Bridges,
Hubert M. Tse,
Anthony Smith,
Rakesh P. Patel,
Peng Li,
Carmella EvansMolina,
Fernando Ovalle,
Anath Shalev
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
endocrinology and metabolism/american journal of physiology: endocrinology and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.507
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1522-1555
pISSN - 0193-1849
DOI - 10.1152/ajpendo.00122.2019
Subject(s) - beta cell , biomarker , type 1 diabetes , autoantibody , beta (programming language) , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , cell , medicine , type 2 diabetes , pathogenesis , cell type , microrna , immunology , biology , islet , antibody , gene , biochemistry , genetics , computer science , programming language
Pancreatic beta-cell death is a major factor in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), but straightforward methods to measure beta-cell loss in humans are lacking, underlining the need for novel biomarkers. Using studies in INS-1 cells, human islets, diabetic mice, and serum samples of subjects with T1D at different stages, we have identified serum miR-204 as an early biomarker of T1D-associated beta-cell loss in humans. MiR-204 is a highly enriched microRNA in human beta-cells, and we found that it is released from dying beta-cells and detectable in human serum. We further discovered that serum miR-204 was elevated in children and adults with T1D and in autoantibody-positive at-risk subjects but not in type 2 diabetes or other autoimmune diseases and was inversely correlated with remaining beta-cell function in recent-onset T1D. Thus, serum miR-204 may provide a much needed novel approach to assess early T1D-associated human beta-cell loss even before onset of overt disease.