Salivary microRNA-126 and 135a: a potentially non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers of type- 2 diabetes

Emerging of miRNAs have illustrated the new mechanistic layer to regulate type 2 diabetes process and suggests a possible role of these RNAs in this defect. Thus, we designed this study to improve our understanding of salivary miRNA-126 and 135a expression utility as an easy of collection and non-invasive way in diabetic patients instead of blood sample. This case-control study was done on T2D (n = 40) and healthy individuals (n = 40). The level of biochemical parameters were determined by enzymatic methods as well as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured by immunoturbidimetry. We used the pooled whole stimulated saliva sample from cases and controls to assess the differentiation expression of miRNA 126 and 135-a with quantitative RT-PCR method. Unpaired Student’s t test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis were used. A correlation was observed between the level of HbA1c, glucose and lipid profiles (TG, TC, and LDL) in serum and whole stimulated saliva samples in T2D patients compared to control (p < 0.001). miR-135a expression was considerably higher by 4.7-fold in T2D compared to the control group (1.8-fold) (p < 0.001) while the miR126 expression was significantly decreased by 3.9-fold in T2D compared to the controls (6.3-fold) (p < 0.001). The results of this case and control study showed that miR-135a and miR126 expression in saliva fluid as a reliable biomarkers and non-invasive approach in combination by change of lipid profiles, glucose and HbA1c may be used to monitor diabetic and non-diabetic patients, while further research is needed to investigate the relationship of these salivary miRNAs (miR135a, miR126) levels change on shifting the levels of clinical laboratory outcomes.