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Published on: September 15, 2023
Association of exosomes in patients with compromised myocardial perfusion on functional imaging
Chia-Ju Liu1, Jien-Jiun Chen2, Jo-Hsuan Wu3
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
Insights
Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) results had significantly fewer exosomes. This finding links exosome levels to CAD severity and related microRNAs.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomarker Discovery
- Exosome Biology
Background:
- Exosomes are secreted vesicles responding to microenvironmental cues.
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant health concern.
- Understanding CAD pathophysiology is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- Quantify exosome levels in CAD patients.
- Correlate exosome amounts with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) results.
- Investigate the association between exosomes and CAD-related microRNAs.
Main Methods:
- Recruited patients undergoing MPI and coronary angiography.
- Collected plasma during angiography for exosome extraction via precipitation.
- Analyzed MPI parameters (e.g., Summed Stress Scores) and quantified exosome and miRNA levels.
Main Results:
- 115 patients enrolled; 78% male, mean age 66.6 years.
- Abnormal Summed Stress Scores (SSS) on MPI correlated with significantly lower exosome levels (p=0.032).
- Multivariate analysis confirmed SSS relationship with exosome amount (p=0.035); specific miRNAs (miRNA-432-5p, miRNA-382-3p) were upregulated in abnormal SSS groups.
Conclusions:
- Reduced exosome levels are associated with compromised myocardial perfusion in CAD patients.
- CAD-related miRNAs may play a role in the observed exosome changes.
- This study provides novel insights into CAD pathophysiology using radiographic and exosome analysis.
Background:
Exosomes are membrane vesicles that are actively secreted in response to microenvironmental stimuli. In this study, we quantified the amount of exosomes in patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluated its relationship with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) results.
Methods:
Patients who underwent both MPI and coronary angiography were recruited. Plasma was collected during angiography, and exosomes were extracted via the precipitation method. The summed stress scores (SSS), summed difference scores, and ventricular functional parameters were calculated from the MPI and compared with the amounts of exosomes and extracted miRNAs.
Results:
In total, 115 patients were enrolled (males: 78 %; mean age: 66.6 ± 10.6 years). Those with abnormal SSS according to the MPI had significantly fewer exosomes (p = 0.032). After multivariate analysis, the SSS remained significantly related to the amount of exosomes (p = 0.035). In forty randomly selected samples, miRNA-432-5p and miRNA-382-3p were upregulated in patients with abnormal SSS.
Conclusion:
Patients with compromised poststress myocardial perfusion on MPI tended to have fewer exosomes in association with CAD-related miRNAs. This is the first study to clarify the fundamental and pathophysiological causes of CAD using radiographic examinations.
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