microRNA expression analysis of circulating monocytes in obese patients

Low-grade chronic inflammation plays an important role in the development of obesity and obesity-associated disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. One possible link between obesity and inflammation is the enhanced activation of circulating monocytes making them more prone to infiltration into the adipose and vascular tissues of obese persons. microRNAs are a class of small endogenous non-coding RNAs, which function as important regulators of inflammation by modulating gene expression. Therefore, microRNA analysis of circulating monocytes from control and obese patients will potentially provide insights into the pathophysiology of obesity and associated disorders and supply biomarkers for diagnostic purpose. The cohort comprised 6 lean age-matched controls (BMI: 20±0.8 kg/m2, mean±SEM) and 9 obese individuals without clinical symptoms of cardiovascular disease (BMI: 46±1.5 kg/m2, P<0.001 compared with lean controls). CD14+ monocytes were collected, total RNA was extracted and subjected to microRNA expression analysis. Samples consisted of CD14+ monocytes from 6 lean controls and 9 morbidly obese patients.