Long noncoding RNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers for diabetes mellitus and complications: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications; however, the findings remain controversial. We aimed to synthesize the available data to assess the diagnostic utility of lncRNAs for identification of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its consequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles published from September 11, 2015 to December 27, 2022. We evaluated human case-control or cohort studies on differential lncRNA expression in type 2 diabetes mellitus or its associated comorbidities. We excluded studies if they were non-peer reviewed or published in languages other than English. From 2387 identified studies, we included 17 (4685 participants). RESULTS: Analysis of the pooled data showed that lncRNAs had a diagnostic area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 (95% CI 0.80-0.87), with a sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI 0.74-0.83) and a specificity of 0.75 (95% CI 0.69-0.80). LncRNAs had an AUC of 0.65 for the diagnosis of prediabetes, with 82% sensitivity and 65% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNAs may be promising diagnostic markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications.