Tehran University of Medical Sciences Acta Biochimica Iranica 0001-5261 2 3 2024 09 25 155 161 Roya Mahdavi 1. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Roya Jahangard Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ensieh Nasli Esfahani Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Farideh Razi Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Reza Meshkani Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2025 05 23 Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and progressive β-cell dysfunction. Early detection is extremely important for effective management and the prevention of complications. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) been found to be promising non-invasive biomarkers for a variety of diseases, including metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic potential of serum microRNA-29a-3p (miR-29a-3p) and microRNA-221-3p (miR-221-3p) in patients with T2D. Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 48 T2D patients and 42 healthy controls. Serum levels of miR-29a-3p and miR-221-3p were quantified using real-time PCR. Results: Both miR-29a-3p and miR-221-3p were significantly increased in sera of T2D patients compared to controls. Serum miR-29a-3p and miR-221-3p were positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (r = 0.466), (r = 0.403) and HbA1c (r = 0.375), (r = 0.366), respectively. miR-29a-3p showed moderate correlations with TG (r = 0.300) after adjustment for BMI, age and gender. Both miRNAs also correlated with adiposity parameters such as body mass index, weight and waist circumference. Conclusion: Serum miR-29a-3p and miR-221-3p are significantly upregulated in T2D and correlate with key metabolic markers. Their diagnostic performance suggests that they can function as valuable non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of T2D. Further research is needed to examine these results in larger and more diverse population groups. https://abi.tums.ac.ir/index.php/abi/article/view/121 https://abi.tums.ac.ir/index.php/abi/article/download/121/69