Long noncoding RNA PR11-387H17.6 as a potential novel diagnostic biomarker of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis

Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is frequently related to ischemic nephropathy, secondary hypertension, and end-stage renal failure. Thus, this study aimed to explore whether certain circulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be used as potential specific ARAS biomarkers.

In the present study, a microarray analysis was performed to screen for lncRNAs in renal artery tissue from four ARAS patients and four non-ARAS individuals. To identify specific lncRNAs as candidate potential biomarkers of ARAS, we used the following criteria: the fold change was set to >3.0 (compared with non-ARAS tissues), and p value cutoff was set at .05. According to these criteria, six lncRNAs were identified from 1150 lncRNAs. After validation by quantitative PCR (qPCR), these lncRNAs were independently validated in blood from groups of 18 ARAS patients, 18 non-ARAS individuals, and 18 healthy volunteers, furthermore, the predictive value of lncRNA PR11-387H17.6 was further assessed using blood from groups of 99 ARAS patients, 49 non-ARAS individuals, and 50 healthy volunteers. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the performance of these lncRNAs as biomarkers.

In the ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) of PR11-387H17.6 was 0.733, with 52.5% sensitivity and 84.8% specificity in predicting the occurrence of ARAS. After considering the risk factors, the AUC of PR11-387H17.6 was 0.844, and the optimal sensitivity increased from 52.5% to 74.5%, although the specificity decreased from 84.8% to 81.9%. In the multivariable logistic analysis, PR11-387H17.6 was an independent predictor of major adverse events (OR: 3.039; 95% CI: 1.388-6.654; p= .006).

PR11-387H17.6 is a potential diagnostic biomarker of ARAS. The lncRNA levels in blood cells are regulated in ARAS. Thus, further investigations of the role of lncRNAs in ARAS are warranted.