Increased serum exosomal miR-134 expression in the acute ischemic stroke patients

BACKGROUND: The exosomal miRNAs have been emerged as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various diseases, however, the function of exosomal miRNAs in stroke remains largely unknown. METHODS: The blood samples from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and normal controls were collected. The exosomes were isolated from the blood samples, which were confirmed by electron microscopy and western blot with the specific exosomes biomarker CD9, CD63 and Tsg101. RESULTS: RT-qPCR analysis showed that exosomal miR-134 was significantly increased in AIS patients within 24 h after stroke onset compared with that of control group. Highly expressed exosomal miR-134 was correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, infarct volume and positively associated with the worse prognosis of the stroke patients. Additionally, the exosomal miR-134 was strong positively correlated with the expression of serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) and plasma high-sensitivity C relative protein (hs-CRP). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve suggested that miR-134 might be a potential factor to discriminate AIS patients from non-stroke controls. CONCLUSIONS: The exosomal miR-134 as a possible novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of stroke.