BACKGROUND: To identify noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for membranous nephropathy (MN).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mRNA microarray datasets GSE73953 using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 8 membranous nephropathy patients and 2 control patients; and microRNAs (miRNA) microarray dataset GSE64306 using urine sediments of 4 membranous nephropathy patients and 6 control patients were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were respectively identified from PBMCs and urine sediments of membranous nephropathy patients, followed with functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, and miRNA-target gene analysis. Finally, the DEGs and the target genes of DEMs were overlapped to obtain crucial miRNA-mRNA interaction pairs for membranous nephropathy.

RESULTS: A total of 1246 DEGs were identified from PBMCs samples, among them upregulated CCL5 was found to be involved in the chemokine signaling pathway, and BAX was found to be apoptosis related; while downregulated PPM1A and CDK1 were associated with the MAPK signaling pathway and the p53 signaling pathway, respectively. The hub role of CDK1 (degree=18) and CCL5 (degree=12) were confirmed after protein-protein interaction network analysis in which CKD1 could interact with RAB1A. A total of 28 DEMs were identified in urine sediments. The 276 target genes of DEMs were involved in cell cycle arrest (PPM1A) and intracellular signal transduction (BRSK1). Thirteen genes were shared between the DEGs in PMBCs and the target genes of DEMs in urine sediments, but only hsa-miR-192-3p-RAB1A, hsa-miR-195-5p-PPM1A, and hsa-miR-328-5p-BRSK1 were negatively related in their expression level.

CONCLUSIONS: Both peripheral blood and urinary miR-195-5p, miR-192-3p, miR-328-5p, and their target genes PPM1A, RAB1A, and BRSK1 may be potential biomarkers for membranous nephropathy by participating in inflammation and apoptosis.

Keywords: Biological Markers, Glomerulonephritis, Membranous, Inflammation Mediators, Computational Biology, Gene Regulatory Networks, Protein Interaction Maps, Protein Phosphatase 2C, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, rab1 GTP-Binding Proteins