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Updated: May 1, 2026

Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: July 3, 2018
Assessment of microRNAs in patients with unstable angina pectoris
Tanja Zeller1, Till Keller2, Francisco Ojeda3
1Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg, Lübeck, Kiel, Hamburg, Germany.
Aims:
While cardiac troponin measurements have significantly improved the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction, the timely biomarker-based diagnosis of unstable angina pectoris (UAP) remains a major unmet clinical challenge. The aim of this study was to assess levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as possible novel biomarkers in patients with UAP.
Methods And Results:
A three-phase approach was conducted, comprising (i) profiling of miRNAs in patients with UAP and controls groups; (ii) replication of significant miRNAs in an independent patient cohort, (iii) validation of a multi-miRNAs panel in a third cohort. Out of 25 miRNAs selected for replication, 8 miRNAs remained significantly associated with UAP. In a validation phase, a miRNA panel including miR-132, miR-150, and miR-186 showed the highest discriminatory power [area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC): 0.91; CI: 0.84-0.98].
Conclusion:
Using a profiling-replication-validation model, we identified eight miRNAs, which may facilitate the diagnosis of UAP.
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