title: Circulating microRNA-126 in patients with coronary artery disease: correlation with LDL cholesterol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major problem worldwide. Atherosclerosis and thrombosis underlying CAD involve multiple cell types. New and useful diagnostic markers are required. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate the gene expressions involved in various cellular processes. Endothelial dysfunction is implicated in early processes of athero-thrombosis. Thus, it was hypothesized that the level of vascular endothelium-enriched miRNAs would be altered in plasma samples of CAD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vascular endothelium-enriched miRNA (miR-126) level was analyzed in plasma from 31 patients with CAD and 36 patients without CAD (qRT-PCR analysis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MiR-126 was not significantly down-regulated or up-regulated in CAD patients. Interestingly, the level of miR-126 was significantly decreased in patients with CAD and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. In contrast, the level of miR-126 was significantly increased when LDL cholesterol was high in patients who had risk factors for CAD but did not have angiographically significant CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-126 was not significantly down-regulated or up-regulated in CAD patients and was not suitable for discriminating CAD patients from patients without CAD. The oppositely-directed relationship between miR-126 and LDL cholesterol in patients with or without CAD may have significant implications for identifying a potential role of miR-126 in cholesterol metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathobiology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4678603, Japan. sfujii@phar.nagoya-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Akimasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanagawa
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Shiori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii