Circular RNA Expression Profiles and Bioinformatic Analysis in Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to identify the expression profile and role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in coronary heart disease (CHD). Materials & methods: We performed sequence analysis of circRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 70 CHD patients and 30 controls. Eight selected circRNAs were validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in human atherosclerotic coronary arteries. Results: In total, 2283 downregulated and 85 upregulated circRNAs were identified in CHD. Parental genes of top 100 dysregulated-circRNAs are related to metabolism and protein modification, and 12 circRNAs might upregulate their CHD-related parental genes through miRNA sponges. Of the eight circRNAs validated in atherosclerotic coronary arteries by qRT-PCR, six were consistent with sequencing results of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Conclusion: As potential ceRNAs, dysregulated circRNAs may be involved in CHD pathophysiology.

Keywords::

• circular RNAs (circRNAs)
• coronary heart disease (CHD)
• miRNA
• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/epi-2019-0369

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province, China. This work was supported by grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 81770442, 81425004) and a grant of the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2017QH009). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study was approved by a local committee on the use of human samples for experimental studies at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong, China (Prot. KYLL-2019-080). Blood samples were obtained from 70 CHD patients and 30 controls from the Department of Cardiology at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China. Informed consent was given prior to the inclusion of people in the study. All the human coronary arteries were acquired from six donation of brain death (DBD) organ donors of the Organ Transplantation and Donation Department at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. Written informed consent was provided by the donor families after the donor brain injury and prior to enrolment. The consent included generation of open-access genetic sequencing data and publication in open access journals in line with Wellcome Trust policy. All experimental methods abided by the Helsinki Declaration.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province, China. This work was supported by grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 81770442, 81425004) and a grant of the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2017QH009). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.