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Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: July 3, 2018
MicroRNA 628-5p as a Novel Biomarker for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy
Anneke Neumann1, L Christian Napp, Jan A Kleeberger
11 Hannover Medical School (MHH), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover, Germany. 2 Hannover Medical School (MHH), Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover, Germany. 3 Hannover Medical School (MHH), Integrated Research and Treatment Center Transplantation, Hannover, Germany. 4 Hannover Medical School (MHH), Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover, Germany. 5 Hannover Medical School (MHH), REBIRTH Cluster of Excellence, Hannover, Germany. 6 Imperial College of Medicine London, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Insights
Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as noninvasive biomarkers for cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplantation. Elevated miR-628-5p levels can predict CAV with high accuracy, offering a new diagnostic tool.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
- Transplantation Immunology
Background:
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a primary cause of death post-heart transplant, often progressing silently.
- Current detection methods rely on invasive procedures, highlighting the need for noninvasive biomarkers.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in blood are emerging as potential indicators for cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate circulating miRNAs as noninvasive biomarkers for CAV.
- To identify specific miRNAs associated with CAV in heart transplant recipients.
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples from heart transplant patients with and without CAV were analyzed using miRNA profiling.
- Candidate miRNAs were validated using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
Main Results:
- Five candidate miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-98, miR-155, miR-204, miR-628-5p) were identified.
- Plasma levels of miR-628-5p and miR-155 were significantly increased in CAV patients.
- A miR-628-5p threshold predicted CAV with 72% sensitivity and 83% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Circulating miR-628-5p is a novel potential biomarker for CAV.
- This finding may lead to noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of CAV post-transplant.
Background:
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). Because of its clinically silent progression and lack of symptoms, detection is often difficult and invasive coronary angiography is performed routinely. To date, there are no established noninvasive biomarkers available for prediction of CAV in transplanted patients.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, small noncoding RNA molecules that negatively regulate gene expression. As they are detectable in peripheral blood, recent studies have suggested miRNAs as biomarkers for various cardiovascular diseases. Thus, we hypothesized that circulating miRNAs may serve as noninvasive biomarkers for CAV.
Methods:
To determine the regulation of circulating miRNAs, we performed miRNA profiling studies in plasma samples of OHT patients with confirmed high-degree CAV and a matched control group consisting of patients without any signs of CAV at least 5 years after OHT. Candidate miRNAs were verified by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
Microarray analysis revealed 5 candidate miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-98, miR-155, miR-204, miR-628-5p) that were differentially regulated in plasma samples of patients with CAV and therefore were selected for verification by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. In CAV patients, plasma levels of miR-628-5p and miR-155 were significantly increased (P = 0.001 and P = 0.028, respectively). A miR628-5p value above 1.336 was able to predict CAV with a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 83%.
Conclusions:
For the first time, the present study identifies the circulating miRNA miR-628-5p as a novel potential biomarker of CAV in patients after OHT.
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