Circulating miR-765 and miR-149: potential noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for geriatric coronary artery disease patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Gerontology
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) poses a significant health challenge in the geriatric population.
• Current diagnostic methods for CAD can be invasive and may pose risks to elderly patients.
• The need for noninvasive early diagnostic biomarkers for geriatric CAD is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of circulating miR-765 and miR-149 as noninvasive early biomarkers for geriatric coronary artery disease (CAD).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 69 geriatric patients with angiographically confirmed CAD (37 stable, 32 unstable) and 20 healthy controls were enrolled.
• Plasma levels of miR-765 and miR-149 were measured and compared between CAD patients and controls.
• Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• Circulating miR-765 levels were significantly elevated in both stable (2.9-fold) and unstable (5.8-fold) CAD patients compared to controls.
• Circulating miR-149 levels were significantly downregulated in stable (3.5-fold) and unstable (4.2-fold) CAD patients compared to controls.
• Both miR-765 and miR-149 demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (AUC > 0.938) for differentiating CAD patients from healthy subjects.

Conclusions:

• Plasma miR-765 and miR-149 exhibit significant potential as noninvasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease in geriatric individuals.
• These microRNAs could aid in the early detection and management of CAD, reducing the need for invasive procedures in the elderly.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger, diverse geriatric populations.