title: microRNA expression in peripheral blood cells following acute ischemic stroke and their predicted gene targets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  microRNA (miRNA) are important regulators of gene expression. In patients with ischemic stroke we have previously shown that differences in immune cell gene expression are present. In this study we sought to determine the miRNA that are differentially expressed in peripheral blood cells of patients with acute ischemic stroke and thus may regulate immune cell gene expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  miRNA from peripheral blood cells of forty-eight patients with ischemic stroke and vascular risk factor controls were compared. Differentially expressed miRNA in patients with ischemic stroke were determined by microarray with qRT-PCR confirmation. The gene targets and pathways associated with ischemic stroke that may be regulated by the identified miRNA were characterized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with acute ischemic stroke, miR-122, miR-148a, let-7i, miR-19a, miR-320d, miR-4429 were decreased and miR-363, miR-487b were increased compared to vascular risk factor controls. These miRNA are predicted to regulate several genes in pathways previously identified by gene expression analyses, including toll-like receptor signaling, NF-κβ signaling, leukocyte extravasation signaling, and the prothrombin activation pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several miRNA are differentially expressed in blood cells of patients with acute ischemic stroke. These miRNA may regulate leukocyte gene expression in ischemic stroke including pathways involved in immune activation, leukocyte extravasation and thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Glen C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jickling
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bradley P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Ander
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dylan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Noblett
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Boryana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stamova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dazhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020521:Stroke / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors