Increased expression of miR-33a in monocytes from Mexican hypertensive patients in elevated carotid intima-media thickness

Abstract

miR-33a has been described as a key regulator in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, its role in arterial hypertension (HTA) has not been elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between the expression of miR-33a (5p and 3p) and the carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in samples of monocytes and serum from hypertensive patients. The miR-33a-5p and miR-33a-3p expression in monocytes and serum from Mexican hypertensive patients were examined by RT-PCR. This study involved 84 subjects (42 normotensive subjects and 42 patients with essential hypertension). Our study revealed that miR-33a-5p expression was significantly upregulated in the monocytes of hypertensive patients compared with the control group (p = 0.001), while miR-33a-3p was significantly downregulated (p = 0.013). miR-33a-5p upregulation [OR: 5.53, 95% CI: 2.01-15.20; p = 0.001], as well as miR-33a-3p downregulation [OR: 3.32, 95% CI: 1.45-7.60; p = 0.004] in monocytes, was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension. In addition, miR-33a-5p upregulation in hypertensive patients was associated with an increased risk of presenting cIMT [OR: 5.99, 95% CI: 1.10-32.85; p = 0.039]. Moreover, we found no significant differences in the expression of both strands of miR-33a in serum of our patients. Our results showed an upregulation of miR-33a-5p and downregulation of miR-33a-3p in monocytes, these data are associated with cIMT, which could be a risk factor for the development of hypertension. In addition, upregulation of miR-33a-5p in monocytes from Mexican hypertensive patients could be involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

miR-33a and Its Association with Lipid Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis

“…Increase in LDL cholesterol is also progressively and significantly associated with a rise in the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis (CA), even in the absence of other ‘traditional’ risk factors [ 9 ]. One of the potential mediators in this interplay between CA and LDL cholesterol is miR-33a—a microRNA which is up-regulated in CA [ 10 ] and positively correlated with LDL and total cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes [ 11 ]. In our study we found that both strands of miR-33a (5p/3p) were associated with higher LDL cholesterol levels in CA patients in a univariable linear regression model.…”

Social Determinants of Health and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Is Epigenetics a Key Mediator?

“…“Increased Expression of miR‐33a in Monocytes from Mexican Hypertensive Patients in Elevated Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness” 35 …”

“… 31 Distinct profiles of miRNAs have achieved good diagnostic performance for essential hypertension, 32 , 33 possibly impacting the risk of CSVD and hinting at a future role of miRNAs as both diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. 31 Although it is too early to predict whether these investigations will transform clinical care, they may yield more robust biological insights because they have been performed across multiple ancestries, 34 , 35 , 36 unlike early endeavors of genome‐wide association studies that were restricted to individuals of European ancestry.…”

Blood microRNA 202-3p associates with the risk of essential hypertension by targeting soluble ST2

“…Therefore, work has focused on the association between blood cell miRNAs and EH occurrence as well as underlying biological mechanisms. Torres-Paz et al showed that the up-regulation of miR-33a-5p expression in monocytes was significantly positively correlated with carotid intima thickness and increased the risk of hypertension in a Mexican population [11]. Additionally, Yin et al reported that the expression of miR-128 in peripheral blood was gradually up-regulated during hypertension progression, which aggravated myocardial injury through inhibiting c-Met [12].…”