Association between miR-138-5p, miR-132-3p, SIRT1, STAT3, and CD36 and atherogenic indices in blood mononuclear cells from patients with atherosclerosis

Abstract

Abstract Backgrounds Developed countries have a high mortality rate from atherosclerosis and are frequently linked to inflammation and other blood lipid disorders. MicroRNA expression can affect atherosclerotic plaque formation, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and other related processes. The search aimed to determine whether microRNA-138-5p or microRNA-132-3p expression levels are related to patient atherogenic genes. Methods Angiographic diagnostic method was used to select 45 healthy samples and 45 atherosclerosis patients, along with the laboratory and demographic information. After isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from blood, the levels of miR-138 and miR-132 and the relative expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), and CD36 genes measured using real-time PCR. Results miR-138 was upregulated compared to the control group in the atherosclerosis patient group (P < 0.05). In contrast, SIRT1 was downregulated in patients (P < 0.05). Our results also showed that the expression levels of miR-138 can use as a biomarker for atherosclerosis detection (P < 0.05). In addition, the expression of miR-138 with SIRT1 had a significant negative correlation (P < 0.05), and miR-132 was directly correlated with STAT3 (P < 0.01). Interestingly, STAT3 was negatively correlated with SIRT1 (P < 0.05) and positively with CD36 (P < 0.01). Conclusion Since atherosclerosis has no specific clinical symptoms and early diagnosis is vital, the use of miR-138 diagnostic biomarkers can play an essential role in early diagnosis. Furthermore, this study highlights the overlap of SIRT1-STAT3-CD36 signaling pathways with miR-132 and miR-138 in atherosclerosis.