Circulating MicroRNA-208b and MicroRNA-499 Reflect Myocardial Damage in Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Small RNA molecules, called microRNAs, freely circulate in human plasma and correlate with varying pathologies. In this study, we explored their diagnostic potential in a selection of prevalent cardiovascular disorders. METHODS AND RESULTS: MicroRNAs were isolated from plasmas from well-characterized patients with varying degrees of cardiac damage: (1) acute myocardial infarction, (2) viral myocarditis, (3) diastolic dysfunction, and (4) acute heart failure. Plasma levels of selected microRNAs, including heart-associated (miR-1, -133a, -208b, and -499), fibrosis-associated (miR-21 and miR-29b), and leukocyte-associated (miR-146, -155, and -223) candidates, were subsequently assessed using real-time…