MiR-30a as a Noninvasive Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome (NS), a common pediatric kidney disorder, is characterized by severe proteinuria, leading to hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, edema, and various life-threatening complications. Early detection is critical for reducing disease progression and mitigating associated risks, highlighting the need to identify noninvasive biomarkers that can improve diagnostic accuracy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), particularly miR-30a, have emerged as promising biomarkers for kidney diseases due to their involvement in key pathological processes such as inflammation and fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic utility of miR-30a in pediatric NS by evaluating its expression across different clinical subtypes. This study was conducted on 100 children from those enrolled at Assiut University Hospital. Participants were divided into five groups: Group 1 (Control), Group 2 (Steroid Sensitive), Group 3 (Steroid Resistant), Group 4 (Immunosuppressive Resistant), and Group 5 (Refractory NS), with 20 participants in each group. The expression level of miR-30a was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results demonstrated significantly elevated miR-30a levels in NS patients compared to controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy of miR-30a in distinguishing NS patients from healthy controls, with an AUC of 0.920 (95% CI: 0.894–0.946; P < 0.001), an accuracy of 94.5%, a sensitivity of 88.6%, and a specificity of 100.0%. It also showed strong discriminatory power among the various NS subtypes. These findings suggest that miR-30a may serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, providing valuable insights for treatment stratification in pediatric NS.