Relationship Between MicroRNA Signature and Arterial Stiffness in Patients With Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated whether circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We recruited patients with acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to a university hospital stroke center and underwent carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurement using SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical, Sydney, Australia) and brachial-ankle PWV using a volume-plethysmography device (VP-1000, Omron Colin, Komaki, Japan). Circulating miRNAs were measured in venous blood samples stored in EDTA. We selected five miRNAs (miR-17, miR-93, miR-450, miR-629, and let-7i) related to atherosclerosis based on a literature review. Pearson’s correlation analysis was applied to the correlations between miRNAs and arterial stiffness parameters. Finally, multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors for cfPWV. RESULTS: This study included 70 patients (age=71.1±10.3 years [mean±SD], 29 females). The expression levels of miR-93 (r=-0.27, p=0.049) and let-7i (r=-0.27, p=0.039) were inversely correlated with cfPWV. Multivariable linear regression analysis including age, hypertension, and estimated glomerular filtration rate showed that let-7i was independently related with cfPWV (standardized coefficient=-0.262, p=0.036). Correlation analysis indicated that let-7i was positively associated with visceral muscle Hounsfield units on computed tomography (r=0.264, p=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: The expression level of let-7i was independently related to arterial stiffness in patients with cerebral infarction, suggesting that it plays a pathophysiological role in atherosclerosis.