title: Elevated circulating microRNA-122 is associated with obesity and insulin resistance in young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of adiposity, but functional studies have yielded inconclusive results. Examining the associations of circulating miRNAs levels with obesity and insulin sensitivity in humans may lead to improved insights.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples collected from 112 obese and control subjects (50.0% men) were randomly divided and combined into four pools (28 samples in each obese or control pool). The genome-wide circulating miRNA profiles were detected via microarray. Elevated miR-122 was selected and validated in individual serum samples from 123 obese (46.7% men) and 107 control (50.0% men) young adults. Associations between circulating miR-122 levels and parameters related to adiposity, insulin resistance, lipid profiles and hepatic enzymes were further assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four miRNAs were found to be expressed differently in the sera of obese patients compared with control subjects (P<0.001). Further analyses confirmed that obese patients had 3.07-fold higher circulating miR-122 levels than controls (P<0.001). Serum miR-122 levels were correlated with BMI (r=0.469), alanine aminotransferase (r=0.634), triglycerides (r=0.448), HDL-cholesterol (r=-0.351) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r=0.401, all P<0.01). After controlling for confounding factors, miR-122 remained as an independent risk factor for insulin resistance (OR=3.379, 95% CI=1.141-10.007, P=0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated circulating miR-122 is positively associated with obesity and insulin resistance in young adults. These findings provide a better understanding regarding the role of miRNAs in adiposity and insulin sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Weiqiong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic DiseasesShanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Endocrine Tumors and E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai 200025, ChinaLaboratory for Endocrine and MetabolismInstitute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China wqingw@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Weiqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs