Dysregulation of serum miR-361-5p serves as a biomarker to predict disease onset and short-term prognosis in acute coronary syndrome patients

Abstract

Background: Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as novel biomarkers for various diseases, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) in patients with ACS.

Methods: This study included 118 ACS patients, 78 patients with stable coronary heart disease (SCHD) and 66 healthy controls. MiR-361-5p expression was measured by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value of miR-361-5p was evaluated by the ROC analysis. A 30-day follow-up was performed for the patients from hospitalization, and Kaplan-Meier curves and logistics analysis were used to evaluate the ability of miR-361-5p to predict the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of endothelial dysfunction (ED) markers, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin.

Results: The expression of miR-361-5p was significantly increased in patients with SCHD and ACS, and positively correlated with Gensini scores. Serum miR-361-5p expression had a high diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing ACS from health controls and SCHD patients. ACS patients with high expression of miR-361-5p had a higher probability of developing MACE. MiR-361-5p expression was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of MACE in ACS patients, and was positively correlated with the levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin.

Conclusion: All data indicated that miR-361-5p expression was significantly increased in ACS patients. Aberrant miR-361-5p expression in ACS might be a candidate biomarker for ACS diagnosis and the the prediction of MACE onset.

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Diagnosis; Endothelial dysfunction; MicroRNA-361-5p; Prognosis.

Fig. 1

Expression of miR-361-5p and its correlation with Gensini scores in ACS patients. a Expression of miR-361-5p in healthy controls, SCHD patients and ACS patients. b Correlation of serum miR-361-5p expression with Gensini scores in ACS patients (r = 0.566, P < 0.001). (***P < 0.001 vs. Healthy controls, ^###P < 0.001 vs. SCHD patients)

Fig. 2

Diagnostic value of miR-361-5p. a A ROC curve based on serum miR-361-5p expression in distinguishing SCHD from healthy controls. b A ROC curve based on serum miR-361-5p expression for screening ACS from the healthy controls. c A ROC curve based on serum miR-361-5p expression for screening ACS from SCHD

Fig. 3

Association of miR-361-5p expression with short-term prognosis of ACS patients. a Expression of miR-361-5p in ACS patients with and without MACE. b The results of Kaplan–Meier curves showed that patients with high miR-361-5p levels had a higher probability of developing MACE (Log-Rank P = 0.011). (***P < 0.001 vs. non-MACE ACS patients)

Fig. 4

Correlation of serum miR-361-5p expression with ED in ACS patients. a Correlation of miR-361-5p expression with levels of VCAM-1 (r = 0.548, P < 0.001). b Correlation of miR-361-5p expression with levels of ICAM-1 (r = 0.466, P < 0.001). c Correlation of miR-361-5p expression with levels of E-selectin. (r = 0.556, P < 0.001)