Circulating microRNAs in patients with intracranial aneurysms

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Intracranial aneurysms (IA) pose significant health risks, including rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).
• Identifying individuals at high risk for IA development and rupture is crucial for timely intervention.
• Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are being investigated as potential non-invasive biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare plasma miRNA levels in IA patients and controls.
• To identify specific miRNAs that can serve as biomarkers for IA risk.
• To evaluate the diagnostic potential of identified miRNAs in distinguishing IA patients from controls.

Main Methods:

• Plasma samples from 15 aSAH patients, 15 unruptured IA (UIA) patients, and 15 controls were analyzed using a PCR array for 370 miRNAs.
• Differentially expressed miRNAs (absolute fold change > 1.2, p < 0.01) were validated using real-time PCR in an independent cohort.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of candidate miRNAs.

Main Results:

• Three miRNAs, miR-183-5p, miR-200a-3p, and let-7b-5p, showed significant differential expression.
• miR-183-5p was decreased in all IA patients compared to controls (FC = -2.2, p = 1.7x10-3).
• miR-200a-3p was increased in aSAH patients (FC = 1.8, p = 2.8x10-2), and let-7b-5p was decreased in UIA patients (FC = -1.7, p = 1.27x10-3).
• ROC analysis showed high diagnostic potential for these miRNAs in distinguishing IA subtypes from controls.

Conclusions:

• Specific circulating miRNAs (miR-183-5p, miR-200a-3p, let-7b-5p) can differentiate IA patients from controls.
• These miRNAs hold promise as potential biomarkers for identifying individuals at high risk of IA development and rupture.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings and explore their clinical utility.