Objective: This study aimed to detect circulating microRNA (miR)-17 and miR-20a levels in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and to investigate whether circulating miR-17 levels are associated with PAH.
Methods: Thirty-five PAH patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Circulating miR-17 and miR-20a levels were measured using real-time PCR analysis.
Results: miR-17 levels were significantly increased in PAH patients compared with healthy controls. They were also higher in PAH patients at World Health Organization functional class (WHO FC) III-IV than WHO FC I-II PAH patients. There was no significant difference in miR-20a levels between PAH patients and controls. miR-17 had a high area under the corresponding receiver operating characteristic curve. Further, we found that circulating miR-17 levels correlated with the 6-minute walk distance, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and mean right atrial pressure in PAH patients.
Conclusion: Circulating miR-17 levels may be associated with human PAH. Therefore, miR-17 could be used as a diagnostic index and prognostic factor for PAH patients.
Keywords: 6-minute walk distance; Pulmonary arterial hypertension; biomarker; miR-17; prognostic factor; pulmonary artery pressure; right atrial pressure.