Peripheral Blood MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Myocardial Damage in Acute Viral Myocarditis

• Published in: Genes Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 420
• Main Authors: Marketou, Maria, Kontaraki, Joanna, Patrianakos, Alexandros, Kochiadakis, George, Anastasiou, Ioannis, Fragkiadakis, Konstantinos, Plevritaki, Anthoula, Papadaki, Sofia Thalia, Chlouverakis, Gregory, Parthenakis, Fragiskos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.03.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Biomarkers; Calcium-binding protein; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary vessels; Ejection fraction; Electrocardiography; Heart diseases; Hospitals; Infections; Laboratories; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Medical imaging; MicroRNAs; miRNA; Mortality; Myocarditis; Pain; Pathophysiology; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Polymerase chain reaction; Reverse transcription; Troponin; Troponin I; Ventricle; Viral infections; United States > US; Japan; strain; troponine; microRNA; myocarditis
• ISSN: 2073-4425; 2073-4425
• DOI: 10.3390/genes12030420

microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as important modulators of cardiovascular development and disease. Our aim was to determine whether cardiac-related miRs such as miR-21-5p and miR-1-3p were differentially expressed in acute viral myocarditis and whether any of them was related with the extent of myocardial damage and left ventricular dysfunction. We enrolled 40 patients with acute viral myocarditis. Blood samples were taken on admission and miRs expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were quantified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. miR-21-5p, miR-1-3p were significantly elevated in acute myocarditis. miR-21-5p levels showed a strong correlation with global longitudinal strain ( = 0.71, < 0.01), while miR-1-3p had significant correlations with troponin I ( = 0.79, < 0.01). The expression of miR-21-5p and miR-1-3p in peripheral blood is increased in acute viral myocarditis, and this increase is correlated with myocardial damage and indicative of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in these patients.