ABSTRACT
Background: Afamin is a hepatokine that involves in glucose and lipids metabolism. miR-122 is mainly expressed in liver and involves in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. This study aimed at investigating the circulating afamin, its correlation with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and miR-122 gene expression in T2DM patients and healthy control subjects according to the duration of diabetes. Methods: This case-control study included 220 participants, with 100 individuals serving as controls and 120 individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The miR-122 gene expression was assessed using real-time PCR. The serum concentration of biochemical parameters such as glucose levels, lipid profile, and small-dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) were measured using colorimetric kits. Circulating afamin and insulin levels were assayed using an ELISA kit. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured using capillary electrophoresis. Results: Circulating afamin level was significantly higher in T2DM patients compared to the control group, (73.8 ± 10.8 vs. 65.9 ± 8.7, respectively; P < 0.001). Similarly, miR122 expression was significantly increased in T2DM patients compared to healthy control subjects (4.24 ± 2.01 vs. 1.00 ± 0.85, respectively; P < 0.001). Among patients diagnosed with T2DM, those with longstanding diabetes (>5 years) exhibited significantly higher levels of circulating afamin and miR-122 expression compared to individuals with a shorter duration of diabetes (≤5 years) (P < 0.05). Circulating afamin levels were significantly correlated with waist circumference, small-dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, resistance to insulin, and miR-122 expression, depending on the duration of the disease (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the performance of afamin as a diagnostic marker for T2DM was confirmed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, yielding an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Circulating afamin involved in the T2DM-related complications and its concentration is positively correlated to the miR-122 expression, especially in patient with longstanding diabetes.
ABSTRACT
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRs) are sensitive molecular diagnostic tools that can serve as highly accurate biomarkers in many disease states in general and cancer specifically. MiR-based electrochemical biosensors can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, making them suitable for clinical use and mass production for point-of-care use. This paper reviews nanomaterial-enhanced miR-based electrochemical biosensors in pancreatic cancer detection, analyzing both labeled and label-free approaches, as well as enzyme-based and enzyme-free methods.
