Background: This study tested the association between serum levels of microRNA-486, -146b and -15b and betatrophin in normal and obese children with/without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods: the study included 120 children; divided into three groups: G1 (50 healthy), G2 (35 obese) and G3 (35 obese with T2DM). The levels of microRNA-486, 146b and 15b and serum betatrophin were measured by their corresponding methods.
Results: serum microRNA-486, -146b, -15b and betatrophin levels were significantly high in G3 followed by G2 then G1 (p = 0.002, > 0.001, > 0.001, and > 0.001, respectively). Especially in G3, these levels correlated positively with the BMI percentile (r = 0.44, 0.58, 0.38, and 0.46, p = 0.007, > 0.001, 0.021, and 0.005, respectively), serum glucose (r = 0.56, 0.49, 0.82, 0.60, and 0.42, p > 0.001, 0.003, > 0.001, and > 0.001, respectively) and HbA1c% (r = 0.56, 0.39, 0.66, and 0.42, p > 0.001, 0.019, > 0.001, and 0.032, respectively) while, showed negative correlations with correlated with serum insulin levels (r = - 0.37, - 0.42, - 0.58, and - 0.41, p = 0.021, 0.012, > 0.001 and 0.013, respectively) and with serum C-peptide levels (r = - 0.76, - 0.50, - 0.35 and - 0.42, p > 0.001, 0.002, 0.036 and 0.011, respectively). Serum betatrophin levels correlated positively with microRNA-486, -146b and -15b levels in G2 (r = 0.35, 0.80, and 0.67, p = 0.036, > 0.001, and,> 0.001, respectively), and in G3 (r = 0.57, 0.36, and 0.38, p > 0.001, 0.029 and, 0.023, respectively).
Conclusions: Circulating microRNA-486, 146b and 15b increase significantly in obese children with T2DM and these levels correlate positively with serum betatrophin levels. Further studies are required to test the role of targeting of these microRNAs and betatrophin in the timely management of obesity and/or T2DM in children.
Keywords: Betatrophin; Childhood obesity; T2DM; microRNA-146b and microRNA-15b; microRNA-486.