Circulating microRNA in patients with popliteal and multiple artery aneurysms

Abstract

Background Patients with popliteal artery aneurysm (PA) often have multiple aneurysms, such as bilateral disease or a concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). microRNAs (miRs) are regulators of biological processes and have been investigated as biomarkers for AAA. The aim of this study was to explore if the presence of multiple aneurysms and/or location correlated with miR levels in blood. Methods Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, 23 miRs were analyzed in plasma from 183 patients with PA. Results Fifteen of the miRs were associated with the number and/or location of aneurysms (1.3- to 2.1-fold changes). Levels of miR-93 (1.4-fold) and miR-215 (1.6- to 1.9-fold) were changed in all compared groups. MiR-24 and miR-23a were altered in those with AAA (1.4- and 1.5-fold, respectively) or bilateral PA (1.5- and 1.4-fold, respectively), compared with in those without. MiR-145 were significantly altered (1.7-fold) in those with isolated PA and AAA, whereas miR-326 were altered in those with bilateral (2.3-fold) and isolated PA (1.9-fold). Conclusions Different miRs seem to be important or to be markers for different subgroups of patients with PA. The identified miRs target vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and vascular inflammation. Further studies are needed to increase the understanding of the pathogenesis of aneurysmal disease.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Rescues the Contractile Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Disease

“…Individually, PAA growth and eventual intraluminal thrombus (ILT) formation might be mechanically driven, while others have a distinct pathomechanism [35]. Recently, a microRNA (miRNA) and circulating MMP signature for popliteal involvement have been identified in patients with multiple aneurysm sites [23,[36][37][38]. Here, we demonstrate similar involvement of VSMC phenotype switch, VEGF and TGFß signaling and change in histomorphology in PAA as compared to AAA (Figures 1, 2A and S1B).…”