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. 2025 May 8;26:230. doi: 10.1186/s12882-025-04120-4

Table 3.

Role of urinary exosomal miRNA and mRNA as biomarkers for DN

Level Type of diabetes Species No. of participants case/(control) Detection method of miRNA/mRNA Comparing groups Disease condition Ref
miRNA miR-145-5p, miR-27a-3p Type 2 Human 20/(20 DM, 20 HC) RT-qPCR DKD group vs. DM group and healthy control UACR > 30 mg/g [88]
miRNA-615-3p Type 2 Human 42/(21 DM, 20 HC) RT-qPCR. DKD group vs. DM group and healthy control UACR > 30 mg/g [89]
miR-92a-1-5p Type 2 Human 44/(36)

RNA sequencing,

RT-qPCR

DN vs. healthy control eGFR ≥ 30 ml/min/1.73m2 [38]
miR663a Type 2 Human 5 PDKD, 4 NPDKD, 5 DM, 3 HC RT-qPCR PDKD vs. NPDKD vs. DM vs. HC eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2; 24-h urine protein excretion of ≥ 500 mg [90]
miR-103a-3p, miR-151a-5p, miR-191-5p, miR-1972, miR-22-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-30d5p, miR-361-5p, miR-378a-3p, miR-4454, miR-200c-3p, miR-619-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-574-3p Type 2 Human 9/(9) Microarray Analysis, Taqman qPCR DN vs. DM without kidney disease ……… [63]
miR-126, miR-155, miR-146 Type 2 Human 30/(34 DM, 28 HC) Taqman qPCR Patients with albuminuria vs. healthy controls and patients without albuminuria. Urinary albumin > 30 mg/L [91]
miR-4534 Type 2 Human 17/(17)

Microarray Analysis,

RT-qPCR

DKD vs. DM Urinary microalbuminuria ≥300 mg/24 h [92]
miR-19b-3p Type 2 Human 28/(15) RT-qPCR DN vs. DM

Biopsy-proven

ACR> 30 mg/g;

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[39]
miR-188-5p, miR-150-3p, miR-760, miR-3677-3p, miR-548ah-3p, miR-548p, miR-320e, and miR-23c —– Human 6 DKD

Next-generation sequencing.

(small RNA sequencing)

Nephrotic DKD at different stage, and non-diabetic CKD patients as control UPCR > 300 mg/g [93]
miR-133a-3p and miR-153-3p
miR-21-5p, let-7e-5p and miR-23b-3p Type 2 Human 14/(15) RT-qPCR DKD vs. DM with normal renal function

UACR > 3 mg/mmol;

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[94]
miR-30b-5p and miR-125b-5p
let-7c-5p Type 2 Human 28/(20 DM; 15 HC) RT-qPCR DKD group vs. DM group and healthy control

ACR>25 mg/mmol;

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[95]
miR29c-5p and miR-15b-5p
miR-362-3p, miR-877-3p, and miR-150-5p Type 2 Human

5/(5)

Verification 20/(20)

RT-qPCR DM with macroalbuminuria vs. DM with normoalbuminuria

ACR>25mg/mmol AER=300–800 mg/24 h

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[96]
miR-15a-5p
miR-451-5p Type 1 Rat ……. RT-qPCR Diabetic rats after 6 weeks vs. 9 weeks vs. non-diabetic rats ……. [97]
miR-133b, miR-342, miR-30a Type 2 Human 44 Ma/66 Mi/56 No/54 HC RT-qPCR Ma vs. Mi vs. No vs. HC UACR > 30 mg/g [98]
miR-15b, miR-34a, miR-636 Type 2 Human 90/(46 DM; 44 HC) Syber green-based PCR array; RT-qPCR Patients with albuminuria vs. healthy controls and patients without albuminuria. UACR > 30 μg/mg [99]
miR-320c Type 2 Human

(5 Mi; 3 No)/(8 DM; 8 HC)

Verification

5 Mi/(6 DM; 6 HC)

RT-qPCR DN group (No, Mi) vs. DM group and healthy control UACR > 30 mg/g; eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 [49]
miR-130a and miR-145 Type 1 Human Mice 12/(12) Taqman qPCR

Microalbuminuria vs. Normoalbuminuria

Diabetic vs. non-diabetic mice

AER> 20 μg/min; ACR>25 mg/mmol [100]

miR-155 and miR-424

miR-145

miR-144–3p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-30c-5p

miR-31–5p, miR-200c-3p, and miR-671–5p

Type 1 Human

8/(5)

17/(18)

Next-generation sequencing.

(small RNA sequencing)

Overt vs. No

PMA vs. IMA

AER> 200 μg/min

AER> 20–200 μg/min;

[101]
hsa-miR-320b, hsa-miR-30d-5p, hsa-miR-30e-3p, hsa-miR-30c-5p, hsa-miR-190a-5p, hsa-miR-29c-5p, hsa-miR-98–3p, hsa-miR-331–3p, hsa-let-7a-3p, hsa-miR-106b-3p, hsa-miR-30b-5p, hsa-miR-99b-5p, and hsa-let-7f-1–3p Type 1 Human 5/(4) Paired-end sequencing (small RNA sequencing) DKD group vs. healthy control eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2; UACR > 30 mg/g [102]
mRNA UMOD mRNA Type 2 Human 44 Ma/66 Mi/56 No/54 HC RT-qPCR Ma vs. Mi vs. No vs. HC UACR > 30 mg/g [68]
19 Mild DKD; 15 sever DKD; 11 CKD; 166 DM;18 OC; 18 HC Mild DKD vs. sever DKD vs. CKD vs. DM vs. OC vs. HC

ACR> 30 mg/g;

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[103]
SLC12A1 mRNA, NDUFB2 mRNA Type 2 Human 19 Mild DKD; 15 sever DKD; 11 CKD; 166 DM;18 OC; 18 HC RT-qPCR Mild DKD vs. sever DKD vs. CKD vs. DM vs. OC vs. HC

ACR> 30 mg/g;

eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2

[103]
CCL21 mRNA Type 2 Human 32/(19 DM, 20 HC) RT-qPCR DN group vs. DM group and healthy control

Biopsy-proven

UACR > 30 mg/g

[104]
WT-1 mRNA Type 2 Human 10/(5) RT-qPCR Overt DN vs. healthy control 24h urinary protein> 3g/day [105]
MAP7, MSRB1, GPX3, IL32, NOX4, HRSP12, TINAG, CAPN3, CXCL14, MSRA, CRYAB, RBP5, and TMEM9 Type 1 Human 17/(37) Genome-wide sequencing (mRNA sequencing) Macroalbuminuria vs. Normoalbuminuria AER> 30 mg/day [106]

HC Healthy control, DN diabetic nephropathy, DM diabetes mellitus, PDKD proteinuria diabetic kidney disease, NPDKD non-proteinuria diabetic kidney disease, UACR urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, eGFR estimated glomerular filtration rate, AER albumin excretion rate, UPCR urinary protein to creatinine ratio, No normoalbuminuria, Mi microalbuminuria, Ma macroalbuminuria, PMA persistent microalbuminuria, IMA intermittent microalbuminuria, OC obese control