title: Circulating microRNAs as novel potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of acute stroke in humans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many diseases include microRNAs (miRNAs) as reported biomarkers. The significance of circulating miRNAs for early diagnosis of acute stroke in humans is unknown. We aim to determine whether circulating miRNAs potentially serve as novel biomarkers for acute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively recruited patients with acute stroke and those with nonstroke disease. Patients with acute stroke were identified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for early diagnosis. If the patient suffered from acute stroke that was detected with diffusion-weighted imaging, the patient was defined as an MRI(+) patient. Otherwise, it was defined as an MRI(-) patient. Circulating miRNAs were measured by miRNA microarray and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 136 patients were included in the study. Testing by miRNA microarray and real-time PCR analyses showed that hsa-miR-106b-5P and hsa-miR-4306 were present with markedly high abundance in patients of acute stroke, whereas hsa-miR-320e and hsa-miR-320d were present with quite low abundance in patients compared with healthy individuals. Compared with healthy individuals, the miRNAs were increased as in patients with acute stroke as follows: hsa-miR-106b-5P, 3.63-fold in MRI(-) patients and 23.90-fold in MRI(+) patients; hsa-miR-4306, 3.19-fold in MRI(-) patients and 5.30-fold in MRI(+) patients; hsa-miR-320e, .33-fold in MRI(-) patients and .13-fold in MRI(+) patients; and hsa-miR-320d, .23-fold in MRI(-) patients and .07-fold in MRI(+) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated hsa-miR-106b-5P and hsa-miR-4306 and decreased hsa-miR-320e and hsa-miR-320d in plasma may be novel biomarkers for the early detection of acute stroke in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Jiangsu University, Suzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wanhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fourth Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Jiangsu University, Suzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Luyuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Jiangsu University, Suzhou, P. R. China. Electronic address: sl1012002322@126.com.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Technology, Beijing City, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: MicroRNA; acute stroke; biomarker; diagnosis; plasma