Differential expression profiles and functional prediction of circular RNAs in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as essential regulators and biomarkers of various disease. To assess differential expression levels of circRNAs in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (PDCM) and explore their biological and mechanistic significance. RNA microarrays were used to identify differentially expressed circRNAs between three children diagnosed PDCM and three healthy age-matched volunteers. Biological function of circRNAs was assessed with a circRNA-microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA interaction network constructed from Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). Differentially expressed circRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in 25 children with PDCM and 25 healthy volunteers