Analysis on Value of Applying Serum miR-144 and miR-221 Levels in Diagnosing Atherosclerosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of serum miR-144 and miR-221 in diagnosing atherosclerosis (AS). METHODS: The clinical data of 52 AS patients treated in the department of cardiovascular medicine of our hospital from August 2019 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and 53 healthy persons were selected from the physical examination center at the same period as the control group. By measuring the indicators including the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), superoxide dismutase (SOD), miR-144, and miR-221 in patients of both groups, their value of diagnosing AS was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the AS group obtained significantly higher serum miR-221 and miR-144 expression levels (P < 0.001), significantly higher mean serum homocysteine (Hcy) level value (P < 0.001), lower mean serum SOD level (P < 0.001), and significantly higher level values of serum VEGF, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) (P < 0.001), and the area under ROC curve, sensitivity, and specificity of combining miR-221 with miR-144 were significantly higher than those of single diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Serum miR-221 and miR-144 expression levels are increased in AS patients, and combining the two indicators in diagnosis is more accurate and can provide an accurate basis for diagnosis and condition assessment of AS.