Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Aberrant miR-508-3p Expression in Acute Ischemic Stroke

The objectives were to investigate serum miR-508-3p expression in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), determine its value for early diagnosis and prognosis of AIS, and preliminarily explore its underlying mechanism. A total of 131 AIS patients (case group) admitted between January 2023 and December 2024, and 125 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect serum miR-508-3p expression, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to assess the concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and CRP in serum samples. The clinical value of miR-508-3p was analyzed using correlation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and Kaplan-Meier methods. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of 90-day outcome. In vitro, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were subjected to OGD/R; cell viability, injury, and apoptosis were determined by CCK-8, LDH release, and flow cytometry, and the miR-508-3p/SOCS3 targeted binding was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Serum miR-508-3p was significantly decreased in AIS patients compared with controls (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and CRP (all p < 0.001). ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8641 (95%CI: 0.8184-0.9098), with 87.79% sensitivity and 72.80% specificity. Multivariate analysis confirmed low miR-508-3p as an independent predictor of poor 90-day prognosis (OR 0.002, 95% CI 0.000-0.581, p = 0.032). In vitro, miR-508-3p overexpression enhanced HBMEC viability and reduced LDH release and apoptosis after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Dual‑luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-508-3p targets the 3'UTR of SOCS3. Downregulated serum miR-508-3p is associated with AIS severity, inflammation, and poor prognosis, suggesting its diagnostic and prognostic potential. Its protective effect may involve targeting suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and alleviating brain microvascular endothelial cell injury.