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Updated: Oct 30, 2025
Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: July 3, 2018
Circulating Extracellular miRNA Analysis in Patients with Stable CAD and Acute Coronary Syndromes
Andrey V Zhelankin1, Daria A Stonogina2, Sergey V Vasiliev2
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
Insights
Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases. Elevated miR-21-5p and miR-146a-5p indicate acute coronary syndromes (ACS), while decreased miR-17-5p suggests coronary artery disease (CAD).
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Extracellular circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as non-invasive biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
- Existing data on miRNA biomarkers are often inconsistent due to pre-analytical and methodological variations.
- Standardized pre-analytical methods are crucial for reliable circulating miRNA research in stable CAD and ACS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the plasma levels of eight specific circulating miRNAs in patients with stable CAD and ACS.
- To identify reliable miRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis of CAD and ACS.
- To address inconsistencies in current miRNA biomarker research by adhering to strict pre-analytical requirements.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative PCR was used to measure the relative plasma levels of eight selected circulating miRNAs.
- A cohort of 136 adult patients, including those with stable CAD, ACS, healthy controls, and hypertensive patients without CAD, was studied.
- Pre-analytical requirements for circulating miRNA studies were rigorously followed.
Main Results:
- Plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-146a-5p were significantly elevated in ACS patients compared to controls.
- miR-17-5p levels were decreased in both ACS and stable CAD patients relative to healthy and non-CAD hypertensive controls.
- No significant differences in these miRNA levels were observed between troponin-positive and negative ACS patients, or between STEMI and NSTEMI subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Increased plasma levels of miR-146a-5p and miR-21-5p serve as potential general biomarkers for ACS.
- Decreased plasma levels of miR-17-5p may indicate general CAD.
- Standardized methods enhance the reliability of circulating miRNAs as cardiovascular disease biomarkers.
Abstract:
Extracellular circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are currently a focus of interest as non-invasive biomarkers of cardiovascular pathologies, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS): myocardial infarction with and without ST-segment elevation (STEMI and NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA). However, the current data for some miRNAs are controversial and inconsistent, probably due to pre-analytical and methodological variances in different studies. In this work, we fulfilled the basic pre-analytical requirements provided for circulating miRNA studies for application to stable CAD and ACS research. We used quantitative PCR to determine the relative plasma levels of eight circulating miRNAs that are potentially associated with atherosclerosis. In a cohort of 136 adult clinic CAD patients and outpatient controls, we found that the plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-146a-5p were significantly elevated in ACS patients, and the level of miR-17-5p was decreased in ACS and stable CAD patients compared to both healthy controls and hypertensive patients without CAD. Within the ACS patient group, no differences were found in the plasma levels of these miRNAs between patients with positive and negative troponin, nor were any differences found between STEMI and NSTEMI. Our results indicate that increased plasma levels of miR-146a-5p and miR-21-5p can be considered general ACS circulating biomarkers and that lowered miR-17-5p can be considered a general biomarker of CAD.
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