Circulating MicroRNA Profiles in Different Arterial Territories of Stable Atherosclerotic Disease: a Systematic Review

AIMS: Atherosclerosis is associated with altered circulating microRNA profiles. It is yet unclear whether the expression of these potential biomarkers differs according to the location of atherosclerosis. We assessed whether atherosclerosis of different arterial territories, except the coronary, is associated with specific circulating microRNA profiles. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library was carried out using a retrieval strategy including MESH and non-MSH terms. Eligible studies have compared circulating microRNA profiles between individuals with and without stable atherosclerotic disease of large or medium size arteries. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO database (reference CRD42017073846). RESULTS: Eighteen studies were selected for qualitative synthesis: ten focused on carotid, six on lower limbs, and two on renal arteries atherosclerosis, none reporting on other locations. A common microRNA profile to different atherosclerotic disease locations was identified, including deregulation of miR-21, miR-30, miR-126, and miR-221-3p. Specific microRNA profiles for each territory were also identified, with consistency across studies, such as deregulation of miR-21 and miR-29 in carotid atherosclerosis, and let 7e, miR-27b, miR-130a, and miR-210 in lower limbs atherosclerosis. The robustness of the results was very high for let 7e, miR-29, miR-30, considering both the adjustment of microRNA expression for baseline variables and the replication of results in different studies (miR-29 in carotid, let 7e in lower limbs, and miR-30 in carotid and lower limbs atherosclerosis). Globally, the deregulated microRNAs are associated with control of angiogenesis, endothelial cell function, inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, oxidative stress and extracellular matrix composition. CONCLUSIONS: A common microRNA profile to different atherosclerotic disease locations and specific microRNA profiles for each territory were identified. These findings may provide insights into pathophysiology and be useful for selecting potential biomarkers for clinical practice. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic data on this subject has been reported.