Circular RNAs in atrial fibrillation: From bioinformatics analysis of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network to serum expression

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent arrhythmia with increasing incidence, significantly impacting patient survival and prognosis.
• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as critical players in the diagnosis and treatment of AF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) in the serum of AF patients using bioinformatics and chip analysis.
• To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of AF.
• To explore potential auxiliary diagnostic markers for AF.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing chip expression profile datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for AF.
• In vitro experiments and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to verify selected circRNA expression levels.
• Bioinformatics prediction of signaling pathways regulated by DEcircRNAs.

Main Results:

• Identified four specific circRNAs with significantly increased expression in the serum of AF patients.
• These four DEcircRNAs show potential as auxiliary diagnostic markers for AF.
• Bioinformatics analysis predicted related signaling pathways involved in AF development.

Conclusions:

• The identified DEcircRNAs may serve as novel auxiliary diagnostic markers for atrial fibrillation.
• This study provides a new theoretical basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying AF.
• Further research into circRNA regulatory networks can offer new therapeutic targets for AF.