Lymphocyte-derived microRNA hsa-miR-150-5p as a marker of inflammation-related kidney function impairment in the general population

Previous studies have demonstrated strong links between circulating microRNAs (miRNA), lymphocytes, and immune markers suggesting that miRNAs are key regulators of immune function and immune related diseases. We used the population-based SHIP-TREND cohort (N = 804) to investigate how specific plasma-based miRNAs relate to lymphocytes, cardiometabolic diseases, and clinical parameters. In linear regression, we identified miR-150-5p to be strongly lymphocyte-associated in both TREND waves. Beyond this, miR-150-5p showed significant associations with kidney disease and also with several clinical markers of renal function. Data indicate that these effects mark the transition from healthy to subclinical disease status and were independent of lymphocytes. We further validated the impact of miR-150-5p in independent publically available clinical datasets. Our findings suggest that the pathological effects of lymphocytes on kidney disease may be mediated through miR-150-5p, by regulating the expression of target genes and modulating inflammatory pathways. This highlights miR-150-5p as a potential early marker of subclinical kidney disease.