Circulating lncRNA IFNG-AS1 expression correlates with increased disease risk, higher disease severity and elevated inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease

J Clin Lab Anal. 2018 Sep;32(7):e22452. doi: 10.1002/jcla.22452. Epub 2018 May 9.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the associations of circulating long, non-coding (lncRNA) IFNG-AS1, lncRNA ANRIL and lncRNA ITSN1 relative expressions with disease risk, severity and inflammatory cytokines levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods: One hundred and ninety-one patients suspected of CAD who underwent coronary angiography were consecutively enrolled in this casecontrol study, and divided into CAD patients (N = 102) and controls (N = 89) according to coronary angiographic results. Blood samples of all participants were collected. Plasma lncRNA IFNG-AS1, lncRNA ANRIL and lncRNA ITSN1 expressions were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-17 were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gensini Score was used to evaluate the disease severity of CAD patients.

Results: LncRNA IFNG-AS1 relative expression in CAD patients was upregulated compared with that in controls (P < .001), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the area under curve (AUC) of lncRNA-IFNG-AS1 for predicting the risk of CAD was 0.755 (95% CI: 0.688-0.821). lncRNA IFNG-AS1 relative expression was remarkably associated with Gensini Score (r = .259, P = .009). Additionally, lncRNA IFNG-AS1 relative expression was positively associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (r = .283, P = .004), TNF-α (r = .269, P = .006), and IL-6 levels (r = .425, P < .001), while it was negatively correlated with IL-10 level (r = -.263, P = .008). lncRNA ANRIL or lncRNA ITSN1 was not correlated with CA D risk, Gensini Score, hs-CRP, ESR, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, or IL-17 levels (all P > .05).

Conclusion: Circulating lncRNA IFNG-AS1 expression correlates with increased disease risk, higher disease severity and elevated inflammation in CAD patients.

Keywords: Gensini Score; coronary artery disease; disease risk; inflammatory cytokines; lncRNA IFNG-AS1.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Area Under Curve
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / blood
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / epidemiology
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / genetics
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / blood
  • Interferon-gamma / genetics
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / blood*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Up-Regulation / genetics

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • IFNG protein, human
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Interferon-gamma