Increased intracellular miR-142 in adults with Type 1 diabetes

microRNAs (miRs), including miR-142, modulate gene expression and processes implicated in vascular damage and may serve as therapeutic targets and agents, including in Type 1 diabetes (T1D). The project aimed to assess whether miR-142 levels differ between people with and without T1D, and to analyse miR-142 associations with cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors. Intracellular miRs were isolated from whole blood cell pellets using TRIzol-based methodology. In a cross-sectional study in 102 adults cellular miR-142 levels were significantly higher (on unadjusted and adjusted analyses) in 69 adults with T1D relative to 33 non-diabetic subjects: mean +/- SD, 3.53 +/- 3.66 vs. 1.25 +/- 0.78, p < 0.0002, but were not related to HbA1c levels. Further miR-142 research, including longitudinal and intervention studies and basic science are of interest. miR-142 may be valuable in clinical practice for predicting health and as a treatment target.