The upregulation of miR-21-5p in atherosclerotic plaque

Abstract

Background: Atherosclerosis refers to a complex arterial condition characterized by inflammation and vascular remodeling leading to plaque formation. It is driven by dysregulated inflammatory pathways, endothelial dysfunction, and abnormal cholesterol metabolism associated with lifestyle risk factors. Because atherosclerosis is a major heart disease risk factor, identifying biomarkers is critical. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression and are implicated in disease pathogenesis. This study investigates the roles of miR-193b-3p, miR-21-5p, and miR-484 in atherosclerotic plaque pathogenesis.

Methods & results: A gene expression analysis was performed utilizing the reverse RT-qPCR (transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technique on samples collected from atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery (CAP tissue) and non-atherosclerotic internal mammary arteries (IMA tissue) of 50 patients diagnosed with both coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. A marked difference was found in the levels of miR-21-5p (p = 0.0001), with CAP tissue showing a 21.96-fold increase in miR-21-5p expression compared to IMA tissue. In contrast, the expression levels of the miR-193b-3p and miR-484 genes did not exhibit any significant differences between the CAP and IMA samples. In CAP tissue, there were strong positive correlations observed between miR-193b-3p and miR-484 (r = 0.99, p < 0.0001), miR-484 and miR-21-5p (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001), and miR-193b-3p and miR-21-5p (r = 0.77, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Altering miRNA expression in the artery offers a promising approach to impact plaque formation through multiple mechanisms, all by targeting a single molecule. Nevertheless, additional studies are required to validate the pharmacological and diagnostic capabilities of these miRNAs.

Keywords: Atherosclerotic plaques, miR-21-5p; miR-193b-3p; miR-484.