Clinical value of serum miR-1-3p as a potential circulating biomarker for abdominal aortic aneurysm

BACKGROUND: Although abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is associated with life-threatening complications, there are still limited reliable biomarkers for diagnostic purpose. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as the potential diagnostic and risk stratification markers of AAA patients, and we aim to evaluate the serum level of miR-1-3p and its diagnostic value in AAA. METHODS: This study included 200 AAA patients and 200 controls. Demographic data and clinical information were collected from the subjects’ medical records. Individual image analyses of AAA morphology were determined based on computed tomography angiography (CTA). The levels of serum miRNA expression were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Bioinformatics tools were used to identify the target genes of miR-1-3p and their potential biological functions were further enriched. RESULTS: Serum miR-1-3p levels in the AAA group were significantly lower when compared with those in the control group in overall and subgroup comparisons. It was negatively related to WBC, CRP, maximal aneurysm diameter, area, and volume in AAA patients. Circulating miR-1-3p levels could significantly discriminate between AAA patients and healthy individuals with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.672 (95% CI = 0.619-0.724, p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 84.5% and a specificity of 45.5%. Serum miR-1-3p was associated with a reduced risk of AAA even after adjustment for possible risk factors (OR = 0.440 per unit increase, 95% CI = 0.301-0.643, p < 0.001). And low levels of serum miR-1-3p could significantly elevate the risk of AAA in both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with ORs of 4.076 and 4.136, respectively (all p < 0.001). Further GO enrichment analysis revealed that miR-1-3p was mainly involved in negative regulation of apoptotic process, sprouting angiogenesis, angiogenesis, positive regulation of blood vessel endothelial cell migration, positive regulation of cell proliferation, regulation of cell shape, etc. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-1-3p can be used as a promising circulating biomarker in the development of AAA, and it may participate in multiple biological processes to play a crucial role in AAA pathogenesis.