Circulating microRNAs in patients with aneurysmal dilatation of coronary arteries

To understand the mechanism of coronary artery aneurysmal dilatation, we identified and compared the expression of circulating miRNAs in three groups of patients. Group 1 enrolled patients with aneurysmal dilatation of coronary arteries (n = 20), Group 2 included patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas Group 3 included 20 patients with normal coronary arteries. The miRNAs were isolated from plasma and profiled using PCR arrays miRCURY LNA Serum/Plasma Focus PCR Panels. We demonstrated that the plasma miRNAs levels were significantly different in Group 1 in collation with Group 2 and Group 3 (fold change > 2 and p < 0.05). The comparison of Group 1 with Group 3 identified twenty-one significantly up-regulated and two down-regulated miRNAs in patients with aneurysmal coronary artery dilatation compared to the control groups. Moreover, we identified six up-regulated and two down-regulated miRNAs in patients with CAD compared to the controls. The third comparison revealed four up-regulated and three down-regulated miRNAs in Group 1, when compared to CAD patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the specific signature of plasma miRNA, namely up-regulated and down-regulated, in patients with abnormal dilatation of coronary arteries and the comparison between the groups consisting of atherosclerotic and control patients. qPCR of circulating miRNA expression profiling. Plasma samples have been collected and analysed for 3 groups of donors : 1 - patients with aneurysmal dilatation of coronary arteries, 2 - patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease, 3 - patients with normal coronary arteries (control) as described with more detailes in the summary.