Association of myocardial and serum miRNA expression patterns with the presence and extent of coronary artery disease: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background MicroRNA (miRNAs) participate in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Objective To evaluate the expressions of myocardial and serum miRNA-27а, miRNA-133а, and miRNA-203 in CAD patients. Methods This cross-sectional observational study comprised 100 subjects (60.9 ± 1.0 years; 67% men). The right atrial and serum expressions of miRNA-27a, miRNA -133a, and miRNA-203 in 80 patients referred for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and 20 control patients scheduled for heart valve surgery were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results There was a positive correlation between the SYNTAX score I index and serum miRNA-203 expression level (r = 0.693; p  101.00 REU (OR, 5.90; 95% CI, 2.34–9.46; p  Conclusions Both myocardial and serum miRNA-27а, miRNA-133а, and miRNA-203 expressions are higher in CABG patients than in non-CAD subjects. The serum miRNA-203 expression level corresponds to myocardial expression and is strongly correlated with the extent of coronary atherosclerosis.