Circulating
miR
‐342‐3p as a biomarker for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus and predicting adverse perinatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study
Kangjun Yu, Sanqiang Niu, Hai Liang ABSTRACT
Aims
This study evaluated the clinical utility of circulating miR‐342‐3p for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and predicting adverse perinatal outcomes (APOs).
Methods
A retrospective cohort of 261 GDM women (the GDM group) and 261 propensity score‐matched healthy controls (the Normal group) was analyzed. Circulating miR‐342‐3p levels were quantified by RT‐qPCR, and diagnostic and predictive performances were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Correlations with fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2‐h postprandial glucose (2hPG), and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA‐IR) were evaluated by Spearman 's analysis. Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent association between circulating miR‐342‐3p expression and APOs.
Results
Circulating miR‐342‐3p was significantly elevated in GDM patients versus controls and demonstrated early diagnostic potential for GDM (AUC = 0.835). In GDM patients, miR‐342‐3p levels showed moderate positive correlations with FPG, 2hPG, and HOMA‐IR ( r = 0.780, 0.578, 0.613). miR‐342‐3p levels were elevated in both the GDM‐APOs and the Normal‐APOs groups compared with their respective non‐APO subgroups. Circulating miR‐342‐3p yielded AUCs of 0.697 and 0.599 for predicting APOs in the GDM and Normal groups, respectively. After adjusting for pre‐pregnancy BMI, parity, FPG, and 2hPG, the OR s for APOs per unit increase in miR‐342‐3p were 1.338 in the GDM group and 2.284 in the Normal group.
Conclusion
Circulating miR‐342‐3p may serve as a valuable adjunctive biomarker for early GDM screening. Across both GDM and non‐GDM populations, circulating miR‐342‐3p is significantly associated with APOs, suggesting cross‐population applicability, though GDM status may modulate the strength of this association.