Expression level of miR-146a is associated with the coronary lesion severity and clinical prognosis in patients with unstable angina pectoris

Objective: To investigate the association between plasma miR-146a expression levels, severity of coronary lesions, and clinical prognosis in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). Methods: A total of 100 patients with UAP and 100 controls were selected for assessment of plasma miRNA-146a expression levels. We assessed the severity of coronary lesions in patients with UAP using the Gensini score. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between miR-146a expression and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with UAP. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) was followed-up for 48 months after hospitalization and discharge. The median grouping method was employed to categorize patients into high- and low-expression groups based on their miR-146a levels. Thereafter, the incidence of MACEs in these groups was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The plasma expression level of miR-146a in the UAP group was 1.8-fold greater than that in the control group (Z = 6.970, P <0.001) and correlated with the severity of coronary lesions; a high expression level was associated with a higher Gensini score (P < 0.05). Patients with high miR-146a expression levels showed a significantly higher incidence of MACEs than those with low miR-146a expression levels (log-rank test: P = 0.004). Conclusion: Plasma miR-146a expression levels in patients with UAP correlated with the severity of coronary lesions, and patients with high miR-146a expression levels had poorer clinical prognoses than those with lower expression levels.