Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: The Potential of MicroRNAs

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with short-and long-term complications in both mothers and their offspring. Screening and early diagnosis of GDM is advocated as a strategy to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, there is currently no test that is amenable to routine screening, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. In recent years, miRNAs have been the focus of increasing research due to their important role in regulating biological pathways and their aberrant expression during disease. The discovery of circulating miRNAs in maternal blood, and their altered expression during pregnancy-associated complications have increased interest into their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for GDM. In this review, we summarise studies that have investigated miRNAs in maternal blood thus providing an update of the current status of miRNAs as biomarkers for GDM. We also discuss the challenges of miRNA profiling, and highlight perspectives and recommendations for research.

A Big Role for microRNAs in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

“…MiRNAs that are commonly expressed across diverse populations and gestational ages, biological samples and using different measurement platforms present opportunities as biomarkers for GDM. Although it could be argued that miRNAs offer little advantage over measurement of glucose concentrations, the oral glucose tolerance test, the gold standard for GDM diagnosis, is associated with several disadvantages which include the requirement for fasting, multiple blood draws, and association with nausea, vomiting and bloating, lead to decreased patient compliance ( 30 ). Furthermore, as discussed above, these miRNAs have been reported to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, supporting their use as biomarkers to predict pregnancy outcomes.…”

“…They regulate several biological processes that are critical during pregnancy and may reflect the physiological state of the pregnancy and fetal development. A growing body of evidence have reported on the association between maternal miRNAs and pregnancy complications, including placental weight ( 24 ), placental abruption ( 25 ), placental previa ( 26 ), preeclampsia and gestational hypertension ( 27 ), and intrauterine growth restriction ( 28 ), macrosomia ( 29 ) and GDM ( 30 ). Therefore, miRNA profiling may aid in elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie the different types of maternal diabetes.…”