RESEARCH ARTICLE Decreased Serum Level of miR-146a as Sign of Chronic Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Background: There is increasing evidence that chronic inflammation is an important determinant in insulin resistance and in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). MicroRNAs constitute a newly discovered system of cell regulation and in particular two microRNAs (miR-146a and miR-155) have been described as regulators and biomarkers of inflammation. Aim: To determine a putative association between the levels of miR-146a and miR-155 in serum of T2D patients, clinical parameters and serological indicators of inflammation. Methods: We performed quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR) of microRNAs from serum (56 Ecuadorian T2D ambulatory patients and 40 non-diabetic controls). In addition, we evaluated T2D-related serum cytokines.chemokines and growth factors using a commercially available multi-analyte cytometric bead array system. We correlated outcomes to clinical parameters, including BMI, HbA1c and lipid state