title: Plasma miR-124-3p and miR-16 concentrations as prognostic markers in acute stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate plasma concentrations of miR-124-3p and miR-16 as prognostic markers in emergency department patients with acute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma concentrations of miR-124-3p and miR-16 of 84 stroke patients (presenting to the emergency department within 24h from onset of symptoms) were determined by RT-qPCR. The primary outcome measure was 3-month mortality and the secondary outcome measure was post-stroke modified Rankin Score (mRS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve patients (14.3%) died within 3months of hospital admission and forty-one (48.8%) patients as achieved a 3-month mRS>2. Median plasma miR-124-3p concentrations were elevated in patients who died compared to patients who survived (p=0.0052), and its levels were found to be higher in patients with a 3-month mRS>2 compared with patients with mRS≤2 (p=0.0312). Higher plasma miR-16 concentrations were observed in patients who survived than in patients who died (p=0.0394), while its concentrations were lower in patients achieving mRS>2 than in patients with mRS≤2 (p=0.0124). For a subgroup of cases presenting to the emergency department within 6h from time of symptom onset (n=36), plasma miR-124-3p concentrations predicted 3-month mortality with an area under the ROC curve of 0.87 (95%CI: 0.72-0.96).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma miR-124-3p and miR-16 are molecular markers which could be useful for the early prediction of mortality and mRS.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Timothy Hudson
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rainer
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ling Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Cangel Pui Yee
authors.initials: CPY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Yuk Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jill Morales
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Abrigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Defeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: cagraham@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Colin A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C509207:MIRN124 microRNA, human; C505362:MIRN16 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Plasma; Prognosis; Stroke; microRNA