title: Expression profile of MicroRNAs in young stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The methods currently available for diagnosis and prognosis of cerebral ischaemia still require further improvements. Micro-RNAs (small non-coding RNAs) have been recently reported as useful biomarkers in diseases such as cancer and diabetes. We therefore carried out microRNA (miRNA) profiling from peripheral blood to detect and identify characteristic patterns in ischaemic stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ischaemic stroke patients aged between 18-49 years, characterized based on World Health Organization clinical criteria were further classified according to TOAST classification, a) Large-vessel atherosclerosis [n=8] b) Small-vessel disease [n=3] c) Cardioembolism [n=5] d) Undetermined cause [n=3]. The patients' functional status at the time of blood sampling (at the outpatient clinics) was evaluated with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Blood samples from normal (n=5) individuals were used as controls. Total RNA extracted from whole blood was subjected to miroRNA profiling and real-time PCR analysis. miRNAs that are implicated in the endothelial/vascular function, erythropoiesis, angiogenesis and neural function showed differential expression profile as compared to the normal control. Interestingly, miRNAs that are involved in hypoxic conditions have also been found in our miRNA profiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that the peripheral blood miRNAs and their profiles can be developed as biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis of cerebral ischaemic stroke. The dysregulated miRNAs have been detectable even after several months from the onset of stroke in what is usually regarded as neurologically stable patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kay Sin
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Arunmozhiarasi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armugam
authors.forename: Sugunavathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sepramaniam
authors.forename: Kai Ying
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Karolina Dwi
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Setyowati
authors.forename: Chee Woon
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kandiah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeyaseelan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs