title: Circulating microRNAs in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs are small RNAs that control gene expression. Besides their cell intrinsic function, recent studies reported that microRNAs are released by cultured cells and can be detected in the blood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To address the regulation of circulating microRNAs in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To determine the regulation of microRNAs, we performed a microRNA profile using RNA isolated from n=8 healthy volunteers and n=8 patients with stable coronary artery disease that received state-of-the-art pharmacological treatment. Interestingly, most of the highly expressed microRNAs that were lower in the blood of patients with coronary artery disease are known to be expressed in endothelial cells (eg, miR-126 and members of the miR-17 approximately 92 cluster). To prospectively confirm these data, we detected selected microRNAs in plasma of 36 patients with coronary artery disease and 17 healthy volunteers by quantitative PCR. Consistent with the data obtained by the profile, circulating levels of miR-126, miR-17, miR-92a, and the inflammation-associated miR-155 were significantly reduced in patients with coronary artery disease compared with healthy controls. Likewise, the smooth muscle-enriched miR-145 was significantly reduced. In contrast, cardiac muscle-enriched microRNAs (miR-133a, miR-208a) tend to be higher in patients with coronary artery disease. These results were validated in a second cohort of 31 patients with documented coronary artery disease and 14 controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating levels of vascular and inflammation-associated microRNAs are significantly downregulated in patients with coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fichtlscherer
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schwietz
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liebetrau
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Christian W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Röxe
authors.forename: Marga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller-Ardogan
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonauer
authors.forename: Andreas M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zeiher
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dimmeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C527111:MIRN126 microRNA, human; C548234:MIRN133 microRNA, human; C541010:MIRN145 microRNA, human; C524942:MIRN155 microRNA, human; C524941:MIRN17 microRNA, human; C550906:MIRN208 microRNA, human; C541874:MIRN92 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs