Circulating microRNAs: a novel potential biomarker for diagnosing acute aortic dissection

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a critical medical emergency with high mortality and frequent misdiagnosis.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of AAD is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Circulating microRNAs are emerging as potential biomarkers for various diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of plasma microRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for AAD.
• To differentiate AAD patients from healthy controls and patients with chest pain without AAD (CP).
• To identify specific microRNAs that can accurately detect AAD.

Main Methods:

• Plasma samples were collected from 103 participants: 37 AAD patients, 26 chronic aortic dissection patients, 17 healthy volunteers, and 23 CP patients.
• MicroRNA expression profiling was performed using microarray screening, followed by qRT-PCR validation of 16 candidate microRNAs.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of identified microRNAs.

Main Results:

• Plasma miR-15a levels were significantly higher in AAD patients compared to healthy controls (P=0.008).
• ROC analysis for miR-15a showed a sensitivity of 75.7%, specificity of 82.5%, and AUC of 0.761 for AAD detection.
• AAD patients exhibited significantly higher plasma levels of let-7b, miR-15a, miR-23a, and hcmv-miR-US33-5p compared to CP patients, with high diagnostic accuracy (AUCs ranging from 0.815 to 0.925).

Conclusions:

• Plasma miR-15a and miR-23a are potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of acute aortic dissection.
• These microRNAs demonstrate promising clinical utility in distinguishing AAD from other conditions.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger cohorts and explore their clinical application.