[Changes in cardiac specific microRNA-208a level in peripheral blood in ST segment elevation acute myocardial...

To observe serum cardiac specific microRNA-208a (miR-208a) levels in ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEAMI) patients, and to explore the role of serum miR-208a levels in the diagnosis of STEAMI.

The serum miR-208a concentrations were assessed within 12 hours after STEAMI, while 30 healthy individuals as control. Serum miR-208a concentrations were measured with real-time quantity reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) or MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) concentrations were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The contents of serum cTnI or CK-MB in STEAMI patients were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals (cTnI: 17.72±8.43 μg/L vs. 0.05±0.01 μg/L, CK-MB: 250.83±177.26 μg/L vs. 71.20±20.50 μg/L, both P<0.01). Serum miR-208a concentrations were detected in all individuals with STEAMI within 60 PCR cycle (0-6 hours: 44.95±4.77, 6-12 hours: 43.98±4.68), but were beyond detection for all individuals in the healthy control group. The serum miR-208a relative levels in STEAMI patients were at least more than 215 fold than that in healthy persons, compared with qRT-PCR (Ct=60) of miR-208a in healthy control persons (P<0.01).

Serum miR-208a may be a new biomarker the early diagnosis of STEAMI patients.