Circulating MicroRNA-30a, Beclin1 and Their Association with Different Variables in Females with Metabolically Healthy /Unhealthy Obesity

Mervat Naguib,1 Mohamed Magdy,1 Omar Ahmed Elsayed Yousef,2 Walaa Ibrahim,3 Doaa Mostafa Gharib3 1Diabetes and Endocrinology Unite, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; 3Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Mervat Naguib, Diabetes and Endocrinology Unite, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 41 Manial Street, Cairo, 11451, Egypt, Tel +20 25729584, Fax +20 2628884, Email mervat.naguib@cu.edu.eg; mervat.naguib@kasralainy.edu.egBackground: Obesity is associated with metabolic and cardiovascular co-morbidities. It is important to determine the factors associated with metabolic derangement in obesity. Autophagy plays a major role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. MicroRNA-30a targets beclin1, the main regulator of autophagy.Purpose: We assess circulating microRNA-30a and serum beclin1 in women with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), women with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and non-obese healthy control and determine their relationship with different clinical and metabolic variables in women with obesity.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 34 women with MHO, 34 with MUO, and 20 healthy non-obese women. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were recorded. Glycemic and lipid indices, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, ALT, AST, microRNA-30a expression in serum were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction and beclin1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were measured.Results: The expression of microRNA-30a was significantly higher, and beclin1 level was significantly lower in women with MUO compared to those in women with MHO (P< 0.001; for both). People with MUO were significantly older (P< 0.001) and had higher TSH (P=0.006), HbA1c (P< 0.001), triglyceride (P