Elevated circulating microRNA-210 levels in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: a potential new biomarker

Abstract

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), which can lead to life-threatening bleeding and other complications, have been reported to occur in 30–50% of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as new biomarkers for human diseases. This study was conducted to explore circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for the screening of HHT patients with PAVMs. MicroRNA array analysis revealed eight altered circulating miRNAs in patients with PAVMs. Real time RT-PCR showed that the levels of circulating miR-210 were significantly elevated in HHT patients with PAVMs but not changed in patients without PAVMs as compared with healthy controls. Circulating miR-210 therefore may be used as a new and sensitive biomarker for the screening of patients with HHT for clinically significant PAVMs.

Keywords::

• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
• pulmonary arteriovenous malformation
• microRNA
• biomarker
• real time RT-PCR

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Dr. Pamela Plant of the Keenan Research Centre Core Facilities at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital for expert help in microRNA array analysis.

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP_81307 to MJK), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The authors report no declaration of interest.