Altered Extracellular Vesicle MicroRNA Expression in Ischemic Stroke and Small Vessel Disease

Active transport of microRNAs (miRNA) in extracellular vesicles (EV) occurs in disease. Circulating EV-packaged miRNAs in the serum of stroke patients were compared to stroke mimics with matched cardio- and cerebrovascular risk factors, with corroboration of results in a pre-clinical model. An unbiased miRNA microarray was performed in stroke vs. stroke mimic patients (n = 39). Results were validated (n = 173 patients) by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. miRNA expression was quantified in total serum/EV (n = 5-7) of naïve adult spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP), their normotensive reference strain (Wistar Kyoto, WKY) and in circulating EV (n = 3), peri-infarct brain (n = 6), or EV derived from this region (n = 3) in SHRSP following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Circulating EV concentration did not differ between stroke and stroke mimic patients. The microarray identified many altered EV-packaged miRNAs: levels of miRNA-17-5p, -20b-5p and -93-5p (miRNA-17 family members) and miRNA-27b-3p were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased in stroke vs. stroke mimic patients. Patients with small vessel disease (SVD) consistently had the highest miRNA levels. Circulating EV concentration was unaltered between naïve SHRSP and WKY but levels of miRNA-17-5p and -93-5p were significantly increased in SHRSP. tMCAO in SHRSP did not further alter circulating EV miRNA-17 family member expression and nor did it change total miRNA-17 family levels in peri-infarct brain tissue or in EV isolated from this region at 24 h post-tMCAO. Changes in EV packaged miRNA expression was validated in patients with stroke, particularly those with SVD and corroborated pre-clinically. Together, altered circulating EV levels of miRNA-17 family members may reflect the chronic sequelae underlying cerebrovascular SVD rather than the acute ischemic stroke itself.