plasma circRNA-expression profiles in children with pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a common and serious complication of left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease (CHD).Some studies have provided evidence indicating that various circRNAs are abnormally expressed in pulmonary hypertension. However, the diagnostic value and biological functions of circRNAs in PAH remain largely elusive. To study the potential roles of circRNAs in PAH, we performed microarray analysis to identify circRNAs differentially expressed between pediatric patients with PAH due to CHD and control subjects. We enrolled eight patients in the microarray study with CHD combined with PAH (the PAH group) and another five patients with CHD who did not have PAH (the control group). Blood was taken from the femoral vein by cardiac catheterization. The blood samples were then centrifuged at 1000 × g for 15 min to completely remove the cellular components. The plasma samples were then stored at -80°C until total RNA were isolated. The total RNA of each sample was quantified using a NanoDrop ND-1000 instrument. Sample preparation and microarray hybridization were performed using an Arraystar Human circRNA Array (8× 15K).