Circulating miR-106a may Function as Potential Biomarkers in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disorder, and CAD is also the main cause of sudden cardiac death. Thus, identification of novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis and treatment of CAD is urgently needed. This study aims to explore the clinical significance of the plasma level of miR-106a in CAD. Methods: A total of 92 patients were enrolled in the present study, and 92 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control. The plasma samples of the participants were collected, and the expression levels of miR-106a in the plasma of the patients and healthy controls were compared by RT-qPCR methods. Moreover, the association between the plasma level of miR-106a and the SYNTAX scoring (SS) of the patients were analyzed. Finally, the serum levels of 25 (OH) D3 and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) between the patients and healthy controls were compared, and the correlation between the plasma level of miR-106a and the serum level of 25 (OH) D3 and ox-LDL in patients with CAD were analyzed. Results: miR-106a was significantly up-regulated in plasma of patients with CAD. Results of receiver operation characteristics (ROC) curve showed that the plasma level of miR-106a is a sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis of CAD (AUC = 0.8189, 95% CI = 0.7578 to 0.8799). Furthermore, the plasma level of miR-106a was positively correlated with the SS of the patients. Finally, ox-LDL was markedly increased and 25 (OH) D3 was significantly decreased in the serum of patients with CAD. The plasma level of miR-106a was positively correlated with the level of ox-LDL and negatively correlated with the level of 25 (OH) D3 in patients with CAD. Conclusions: miR-106a was up-regulated in CAD, and miR-106a may serve as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis and evaluation of clinical outcomes of CAD.