Correlation of hsa-mirna-342–3p and SOX 6 Expression with Diabetic Nephropathy Classification, Prognostic Histomorphological Parameters and Laboratory Findings in Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease. The most popular biomarkers in current research on DN are microRNAs. There are studies showing that while the expression of SOX6 increases, hsa-miR-342–3p expression decreases in kidney tissues with DN. The current study evaluated hsa-miR-342–3p expression by Real Time PCR and SOX6 expression by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 110 DN biopsies, as well as their relationship with various clinical and histomorphological parameters. An inverse relationship between expression of hsa-miR-342–3p and SOX6 was demonstrated. SOX6 genetic expression was correlated with serum creatinine and tubular basement membrane thickening. Immunohistochemically, SOX6 staining was observed in mesangial cells and podocytes in 21 patients, with tubular staining in 45, and interstitial staining in 27 patients. Tubular staining was associated with proteinuria, interstitial fibrosis and inflammation; interstitial staining was associated with creatinine; and staining in the glomerular compartment was associated with advanced DN class. Our study is the first in the literature in which SOX6 was applied immunohistochemically in human kidney tissue, and its relation with DN classes was examined. We demonstrate its correlation with laboratory and histomorphological parameters, and provide a rational basis for future studies on larger patient groups that may result in the development of new biomarkers to predict the progression of DN and enhance its treatment.