title: MicroRNAs in Valvular Heart Diseases: Potential Role as Markers and Actors of Valvular and Cardiac Remodeling.
abstract: miRNAs are a class of over 5000 noncoding RNAs that regulate more than half of the protein-encoding genes by provoking their degradation or preventing their translation. miRNAs are key regulators of complex biological processes underlying several cardiovascular disorders, including left ventricular hypertrophy, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, hypertension and arrhythmias. Moreover, circulating miRNAs herald promise as biomarkers in acute myocardial infarction and heart failure. In this context, this review gives an overview of studies that suggest that miRNAs could also play a role in valvular heart diseases. This area of research is still at its infancy, and further investigations in large patient cohorts and cellular or animal models are needed to provide strong data. Most studies focused on aortic stenosis, one of the most common valvular diseases in developed countries. Profiling and functional analyses indicate that miRNAs could contribute to activation of aortic valve interstitial cells to a myofibroblast phenotype, leading to valvular fibrosis and calcification, and to pressure overload-induced myocardial remodeling and hypertrophy. Data also indicate that specific miRNA signatures, in combination with clinical and functional imaging parameters, could represent useful biomarkers of disease progression or recovery after aortic valve replacement.
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. cecile.oury@ulg.ac.be.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. cecile.oury@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oury
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. laurence.servais@doct.ulg.ac.be.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. laurence.servais@doct.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Servais
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. Nassim.Bouznad@med.uni-muenchen.de.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. Nassim.Bouznad@med.uni-muenchen.de.|Experimental and Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Insitute of Pathology Ludwig Maximilians, University Munich, 80331 Munich, Germany. Nassim.Bouznad@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Nassim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bouznad
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. alexandre.hego@hotmail.fr.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. alexandre.hego@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hego
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. alainnchimi@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. alainnchimi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nchimi
authors.affiliation: GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA), University of Li&#232;ge, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be.|Department of Cardiology, University of Li&#232;ge Hospital, 4000 Li&#232;ge, Belgium. plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be.|Gruppo Villa Maria Care and Research, Anthea Hospital, 70124 Bari, Italy. plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lancellotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: biomarkers; cellular and animal models; microRNAs; valvular heart diseases