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Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
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Unique MicroRNA signatures associated with early coronary atherosclerotic plaques

Rong Wang1, Lai-Dong Dong2, Xiang-Bin Meng3

  • 1The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|July 11, 2015
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) show altered expression in early coronary atherosclerosis. These small non-coding RNAs could serve as novel biomarkers for detecting early plaque formation in cardiovascular disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Molecular Diagnostics
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Coronary atherosclerotic plaque pathophysiology is complex, necessitating early detection for effective cardiovascular disease management.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in cardiovascular diseases and show potential as diagnostic markers.
  • The miRNA expression profile in early coronary atherosclerotic plaques remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the miRNA expression profile in early coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
  • To identify potential miRNA biomarkers for the early detection of coronary atherosclerosis.
  • To test the hypothesis that miRNAs can serve as effective disease markers for early plaque detection.

Main Methods:

  • Microarray analysis of miRNA expression in coronary artery samples from patients with early atherosclerosis.
  • Comparison of miRNA expression profiles between atherosclerotic plaques and healthy controls.
  • Validation of selected dysregulated miRNAs using real-time PCR.

Main Results:

  • A total of 101 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed (44 upregulated, 57 downregulated).
  • Eight miRNAs were significantly upregulated and five were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05).
  • Real-time PCR confirmed downregulation of miR-221, miR-155, miR-100 and upregulation of miR-1273 in plaques.

Conclusions:

  • Altered miRNA expression levels are associated with early coronary atherosclerotic plaque formation.
  • Specific miRNAs, including miR-221, miR-155, miR-100, and miR-1273, show potential as biomarkers for early detection.
  • miRNA expression profiling offers a promising avenue for identifying individuals with early-stage coronary atherosclerosis.
Keywords:
AtherosclerosisCoronary arteriesMicroRNAPlaques

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