Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 911, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2013 Aug;6(4):458-70. doi: 10.1007/s12265-013-9466-z. Epub 2013 May 29.
MicroRNAs (miRs) are short, noncoding RNAs that function as posttranscriptional inhibitors of mRNA translation to protein. They are essential for normal development and homeostasis. Dysregulated expression patterns both cause and result from disease states. Generally studied as intracellular mediators, miRs can be isolated from body fluids and exhibit remarkable stability to degradation. These features, in combination with their tissue specificity, make miRs attractive candidates as blood-derived biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD), the most frequent cause of death worldwide. The use of miRs as biomarkers in both symptomatic and asymptomatic CAD and the influence of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and CAD treatment on their circulating levels are the topics of this review. To conclude, it highlights the remaining hurdles to tackle before this promising application of miRs can enter into routine clinical practice.
微小 RNA（miRs）是短的非编码 RNA，作为 mRNA 翻译为蛋白质的转录后抑制剂发挥作用。它们对于正常发育和内稳态是必需的。失调的表达模式既导致又源自疾病状态。通常作为细胞内介质进行研究，miRs 可以从体液中分离出来，并表现出对降解的显著稳定性。这些特征与其组织特异性相结合，使 miRs 成为冠状动脉疾病（CAD）的血液衍生生物标志物的有吸引力的候选物，CAD 是全球最常见的死亡原因。miRs 作为有症状和无症状 CAD 的生物标志物的用途以及传统心血管危险因素和 CAD 治疗对其循环水平的影响是本综述的主题。总之，在这项有前途的 miR 应用能够进入常规临床实践之前，突出了仍需解决的障碍。
