ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression difference of microRNA -21 (miRNA-21) in patients with chronic cardiac function and analyze its clinical significance. Methods Patients with chronic heart failure (trial group,150 cases) and the subjects without chronic heart failure (control group,45 cases) were enrolled. Patients with chronic heart failure were divided into three subgroups according to NYHA: group A (heart function classⅡ,49 cases),group B (classⅢ, 51 cases) and group C (class Ⅳ, 50 cases). miRNA-21 levels were detected by qRT-PCR method. The levels of B type natriuretic peptide urea (BNP),left ventricular end diastole diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were determined. Results miRNA-21 expression in patients with heart failure were higher than that of control group (P < 0.01),and miRNA-21 expression in group C was higher than that of group A.Correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between expression of BNP (r = 0.763,P < 0.01), LVEDD (r = 0.691,P<0.01), and the level of miRNA-21 in patients with chronic heart failure.And a negative correlation between LVEF value and the level of miRNA-21 (r = -0.918,P < 0.01). Conclusion miRNA-21 might be a potential marker for diagnosis of heart failure and could be a basis for reference about prognosis evaluation.