miRNA-210 expression is associated with iron deficiency and biochemical parameters in hemodialysis patients.

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Kılıç M., Dheir H., İslam M., Ercan Z., Serdar M. A.

Frontiers in medicine, cilt.13, sa.13, ss.1668328, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 13 Sayı: 13
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1668328
  • Dergi Adı: Frontiers in medicine
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1668328
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: 

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of microRNA (miRNA)-210 as a biomarker for distinguishing iron deficiency anemia (IDA) from functional iron deficiency (FID) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The diagnostic performance of miRNA-210 was also compared with conventional biochemical markers, including hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, transferrin saturation (TSAT), and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP).

Methods: 

Fifty HD patients were classified into control, IDA, and FID groups according to Hb, ferritin, and TSAT criteria. Pre-dialysis blood samples were collected, and plasma miRNA-210 levels were measured using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT2-PCR). Diagnostic performance was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis alongside traditional biomarkers.

Results: 

Plasma miRNA-210 levels were significantly higher in the IDA group compared to both the control (p = 0.0010) and FID (p = 0.0007) groups. A significant negative correlation was observed between miRNA-210 and Hb (ρ = −0.363, p = 0.0155). ROC analysis showed that miRNA-210 had moderate diagnostic discriminatory ability for differentiating IDA (AUC = 0.711, p = 0.0186). Its performance was comparable to ZnPP and exceeded to ferritin and TSAT.

Conclusion: 

miRNA-210 may serve as a supportive biomarker, reflecting the interaction between hypoxia and iron metabolism in distinguishing IDA from FID among HD patients. These findings indicate that miRNA-210 could provide additional value in understanding anemia pathophysiology and enhance diagnostic evaluation.

Limitations: 

Key limitations include the small sample size, single-center, cross-sectional design, absence of a healthy control group, and lack of molecular-level functional validation. Larger multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine clinically relevant cut-off values for miRNA-210.