The following is a summary of “SIRT1 and miR-34a-5p Expression in PBMCs as Potential Biomarkers for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes With Cognitive Impairments,” published in the March 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Liu, et al.
Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet early identification of patients with T2DM with cognitive impairment (T2DM-CI) remains challenging. Mitochondrial dysfunction, associated with AD, also plays a role in T2DM. Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1), a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, and related miRNAs have been implicated in AD. For a study, researchers sought to assess whether mitochondrial function in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with T2DM-CI was altered and if these changes could serve as biomarkers.
The study included 374 subjects: AD, T2DM-CI, T2DM-nCI (T2DM without cognitive impairment), and healthy controls. Mitochondrial function was assessed using a commercial assay kit. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction measured mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, SIRT1 expression, and selected miRNAs in PBMCs. Correlations and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient and receiver operating characteristics analysis.
PBMCs from patients with AD showed significant mitochondrial function changes compared to controls (all P < .05), not observed in T2DM-CI. However, patients with T2DM-CI exhibited lower mtDNA content and SIRT1 mRNA expression, alongside higher miR-34a-5p expression compared to patients with T2DM-nCI (all P < .05). Combining SIRT1 and miR-34a-5p demonstrated strong discrimination between T2DM-CI and T2DM-nCI (area under the curve = 0.793; sensitivity: 80.01%; specificity: 78.46%). Additionally, miR-34a-5p expression correlated with hyperglycemia in T2DM-CI.
Peripheral mitochondrial alterations were evident in patients with T2DM-CI. A combination of SIRT1 and miR-34a-5p in PBMCs showed promise as a biomarker for identifying T2DM-CI, offering the potential for early diagnosis and intervention.
Reference: academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/109/3/815/7284065?redirectedFrom=fulltext
