title: MicroRNA profiling in the left atrium in patients with non-valvular paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to identify the miRNA expression profiles in left atrial appendage, with the intention of identifying miRNAs that were significantly associated with non-valvular paroxysmal AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  The RNA samples were isolated from healthy controls (n = 5) and patients with atrial fibrillation (n = 8). To confirm the findings obtained by analyzing the miRNA profile, we measured the expression of selected miRNAs in the entire cohort by quantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten specific miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed between atrial fibrillation and healthy controls with more than a 2-fold change (P < 0.05). Consistent with the data obtained for the profile, expression levels of miRNA-155, miRNA-146b-5p and miRNA-19b were significantly increased in patients with atrial fibrillation. Interestingly, levels of miRNA-146b-5p and miRNA-155, which are known to be associated with inflammation, were independently and positively associated with left atrium dimension, atrial fibrillation duration and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. By using four Databases (TargetScan, miRanda, Starbase Clip-seq and miRDB) to perform target gene prediction, there were four genes were related to the inflammatory response and fibrosis, and three others encoding cardiac ion channel proteins. As a result of TaqMan qPCR and Western analysis, the relative mRNA and protein expression level of three target genes (DIER-1, TIMP-4 and CACNA1C) were significantly lower in the atrial fibrillation group than that in the healthy control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of inflammation-associated miRNAs is significantly up-regulated in the left atrial appendage of patients with non-valvular paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which may play a significant role in electrical and structural remodeling.
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. wangjiangang7545@126.com.
authors: Jiangang
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. songshiqiu@hotmail.com.
authors: Shiqiu
authors: S
authors: Song
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Vidant Medical Center, Broody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, 27834, USA. xcqtiger@163.com.
authors: Changqing
authors: C
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. drhanjie@163.com.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Han
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. alanyanli@163.com.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. happysjh167@163.com.
authors: Jiahai
authors: J
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. chouniangniang@126.com.
authors: Meng
authors: M
authors: Xin
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. champignonnn@hotmail.com.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. luotiangelocker@sina.com.
authors: Tiange
authors: T
authors: Luo
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China. mxu@263.net.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Meng
authors: University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA. boya@med.umich.edu.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D006325:Heart Atria; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs