Serum miRNA-146 and Cortisol levels in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Pathophysiological Insights | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Chemistry | ||||
| Volume 68, Issue 9, September 2025, Page 351-364 PDF (351.24 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2025.345284.11003 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Amal A Mohamed 1; Abbas M Abbas 2; Rasha Elgamal 3; Maysa I. Farghly3; Hanan A. Hegazy 4; Mahmoud M Shaheen 5; Shaimaa A. Fathy 5; Mohamed El Sherbiny 5; Ghada Maher Thabet 6; Karima Nasraldin 7; Naglaa K. Madkour 8; Reem Elmahdy 9; Moamen Abdelfadil Ismail 10; Noheir Ashraf Ibrahem Fathy Hassan 11; Ahmed Abdelrahman12; Mina Wassef Girgiss 13; Wael Hafez  14; Samar S. Khalaf15
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| 1Department of Biochemistry and molecular biology, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Department of Biochemistry, faculty of medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Suez, Egypt. | ||||
| 4Environmental and Occupational Medicine Department, Environment and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre (ID: 60014618), Giza. Egypt. | ||||
| 5Department of Internal medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| 6Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| 7Department of Biotechnology, Modern Science and Arts University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
| 8Department of Zoology, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||||
| 9Department of Internal medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Suez, Egypt. | ||||
| 10Internal Medicine department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University | ||||
| 11Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt | ||||
| 12Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt | ||||
| 13Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| 14Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo. Egypt. | ||||
| 15Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, 11785, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic condition characterized by hyperglycemia due to defects in insulin action or secretion. Its rising prevalence poses a significant global health challenge. Evidence suggests that T2DM involves non-coding RNA molecules, such as miRNAs, which regulate gene expression. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is also implicated in T2DM by influencing glucose metabolism and contributing to complications. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and pathophysiological relevance of miRNA-146 and cortisol in T2DM. This study explored their potential as biomarkers for identifying metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities and examined their interactions with glycemic markers (HbA1c and RBS). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 T2DM patients and 100 healthy controls from the Suez Canal University outpatient clinic. Biochemical assessments included RBS, fasting insulin, vitamin D, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), LDL, HDL, HbA1c, cortisol, and miRNA-146. Cortisol and vitamin D levels were measured using ELISA, while miRNA-146 levels were quantified using RT-qPCR. Diagnostic performance was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, and statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS. Results: miRNA-146 levels were significantly lower in T2DM patients than in controls, with a cut-off value of ≤ 6.83, achieving 83.0% sensitivity and 79.0% specificity (AUC = 0.832). This makes miRNA-146 a highly effective diagnostic biomarker for early detection. Cortisol levels were elevated in T2DM patients and positively correlated with HbA1c and RBS, indicating its role in glucose metabolism dysregulation. A cortisol cut-off of ≥ 3.8 nmol/L showed 95.0% sensitivity and 71.0% specificity (AUC = 0.819), suggesting its utility as a secondary screening tool. However, its lower specificity may warrant further confirmatory testing. Conclusion: This study highlights the complementary roles of miRNA-146 and cortisol as T2DM biomarkers. While miRNA-146 demonstrates the highest diagnostic accuracy, cortisol offers additional insights into metabolic disturbances. These findings provide a foundation for improving T2DM diagnosis and monitoring. Further research is needed to validate these biomarkers and to explore their potential as targeted therapeutic strategies. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Type 2 diabetes mellitus; MiRNA-146; Cortisol; HBA1c; Biomarker, hyperglycemia | ||||
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