The Role of miRNA-146a and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Carotid Atherosclerosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and significance of miRNA-146a in peripheral blood of patients with carotid atherosclerosis (CAS). Patients with CAS were selected as the stenosis (CAS) group ( = 180). According to the degree of stenosis, they were divided into the mild stenosis group (MS group, = 64), moderate stenosis group (M group, = 62 cases), and severe stenosis group (SS group, = 54). According to the plaque type, patients were divided into a stable plaque group (SP group, = 96) and a vulnerable plaque group (VP group, = 84). Patients without CAS represented the normal group ( = 90). The expression levels of miRNA-146a as well as IL-6 and TNF- in peripheral blood were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. The expression levels of miRNA-146a, IL-6, and TNF- in the CAS group were higher than those in the normal group and positively correlated with the degree of stenosis and plaque vulnerability. The expression levels of miRNA-146a, IL-6, and TNF- in the stable plaque group were lower than those in the vulnerable plaque group. The area under the curve of miRNA-146a predicting the vulnerability of plaques was significant at 0.641. The expression level of miRNA-146a in the CAS group was positively correlated with IL-6 and TNF- levels. Our results indicate that miRNA-146a may participate in the occurrence and development of CAS by regulating the expression of IL-6 and TNF-, which may be potential biomarkers of CAS.