MicroRNA-21: A Critical Pathogenic Factor of Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the most common and intractable microvascular complications of diabetes, is the main cause of terminal renal disease globally. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a kind of miRNA early identified in human circulation and tissues. Mounting studies have demonstrated that miR-21 plays an important role in the development and progression of DN. This collaborative review aimed to present a first attempt to capture the current evidence on the relationship between miR-21 and DN. After a systematic search, 29 relevant studies were included for comprehensively and thoroughly reviewing. All these eligible studies reported that miR-21 was up-regulated in DN, whether in serum or renal tissues of human or animal models. MiR-21 exhibited its pathogenic roles in DN by forming a complex network with targeted genes (e.g. MMP-9, Smad7, TIMP3, Cdk6, FOXO1, IMP3, and MMP2) and the signaling cascades (e.g. Akt/TORC1 signaling axis, TGF-ß/NF-κB signaling pathways, TGF-ß/SMAD pathway, CADM1/STAT3 signaling, and AGE-RAGE regulatory cascade), which resulted in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix deposition, cytoskeletal remodeling, inflammation, and fibrosis. This review highlights that miR-21 is a pivotal pathogenic factor in the development of DN. It may serve as an attractive potential diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarker for DN in clinical practice after further confirmation of the clinicopathological features and molecular mechanisms of miR-21-mediated DN.

[Early diagnosis of prostate cancer by combined use of Trp-p8 expression and PSA density of the transition zone].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of the Trp-p8 protein in the prostate tissue of the PSA "grey zone" with different PSA density of the transition zone (PSADTZ) and explore the value of determining Trp-p8 expression and PSADTZ in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: This study involved 30 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and another 30 cases of PCa with different PSADTZ values. Using a data imaging and analysis system, we determined the expression levels of Trp-p8 in BPH and PCa tissues and analyzed their correlation with PSADTZ. RESULTS: The expression of Trp-p8 was weak or negative in the BPH but strong in the PCa tissue and even stronger in the PCa tissue with high PSADTZ (F = 34. 05, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Trp-p8 protein is expressed differently in BPH and PCa tissues of the PSA " grey zone" and its expression is positively correlated with PSADTZ. Determination of the Trp-p8 expression and PSADTZ contributes to the early diagnosis of prostate cancer.