2. Academic Validation
  3. Unraveling the association and regulatory role of miR-146b-5p in coronary artery disease

Unraveling the association and regulatory role of miR-146b-5p in coronary artery disease

  • BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2025 Feb 5;25(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s12872-025-04530-0.
Xiaozhu Ma 1 2,  Shuai Mei 1 2,  Yi He 1 2,  Qidamugai Wuyun 1 2,  Li Zhou 1 2,  Ziyang Cai 1 2,  Qiushi Luo 1 2,  Yi Wen 1 2,  Jiangtao Yan 3 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Cardiology, Division of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China.
  • 2 Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan, China.
  • 3 Department of Cardiology, Division of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China. jtyan@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
  • 4 Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan, China. jtyan@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
PMID: 39910430 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-025-04530-0
Abstract

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD), one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases, is a critical health issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It has been reported that miR-146b-5p exhibited a strong correlation with inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis. However, its association with the incidence and severity of CAD has not been substantiated in a large cohort. In the study, we focus on the expression of miR-146b-5p in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with CAD and preliminarily investigate its function and underlying mechanism.

Methods and results: The study encompassed a total of 452 participants, consisting 295 patients with CAD and 157 individuals without CAD. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess miR-146b-5p expression in PBMCs. We found that miR-146b-5p was significantly increased in PBMCs of patients with CAD compared with the control group. Binary logistic regression revealed that miR-146b-5p was associated with CAD. Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of miR-146b-5p in discriminating CAD patients from non-CAD patients were meaningful. Subsequent subgroup analysis showed that miR-146b-5p was related to the severity of CAD. Furthermore, gain- and loss-of-function experiments in THP-1 cells showed that miR-146b-5p inhibited inflammation, cell proliferation, and migration. Mechanically, miR-146b-5p was involved in the classical NF-κB inflammatory pathway by directly targeting IKKβ.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that miR-146b-5p was higher in the PBMCs of CAD patients than non-CAD individuals, and established a correlation between miR-146b-5p and occurrence and severity of CAD. In addition, the inflammatory role of miR-146b-5p is mediated by targeting IKKβ.

Keywords

Coronary artery disease; IKKB; Inflammation; miR-146b-5p.

Figures
Products