ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of microRNA (miR)-34a in patients with primary hypertension. The expression of miR-34a was measured in the peripheral blood of 50 patients with primary hypertension and 28 normal controls by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with an miR-34a inhibitor to suppress the expression of miR-34a, and the proliferation, migration and cell cycle distribution of HUVECs were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell and flow cytometry assays. The target of miR-34a was also predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and western blot analysis. miR-34a was significantly upregulated in the peripheral blood of patients with hypertension when compared with controls (P<0.05), and upregulation of miR-34a was associated with a higher clinical stage of hypertension (phase III; P<0.05). In vitro experiments demonstrated that inhibition of miR-34a promoted the proliferation, migration and G1/S transition of HUVECs, relative to scramble-miR controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, transforming growth factor ß-induced factor homeobox 2 (TIGF2) was predicted and verified to be a direct target of miR-34a. Collectively, these data suggested that miR-34a was upregulated in the peripheral blood of patients with hypertension, and that upregulated miR-34a may promote vascular endothelial injury by targeting TIGF2.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a key component of the humoral arm of the innate immune system. PTX3 is produced locally in response to proinflammatory stimuli. We reviewed the usefulness of systemic levels of PTX3 in critically ill patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, and bacteremia, focusing on its diagnostic and prognostic value. METHODS: A PubMed search on PTX3 was conducted. The list of papers was narrowed to original studies of critically ill patients. Eleven papers on original studies of critically ill patients that report on PTX3 in SIRS, sepsis, or bacteremia were identified. RESULTS: Systematic levels of PTX3 have little diagnostic value in critically ill patients with SIRS, sepsis, or bacteremia. Systemic levels of PTX3, however, have superior prognostic power over other commonly used biological markers in these patients. Systemic levels of PTX3 correlate positively with markers of organ dysfunction and severity-of-disease classification system scores. Finally, systemic levels of PTX3 remain elevated in the acute phase and decreased on recovery. Notably, the age of the patients and underlying disease affect systemic levels of PTX3. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic value of PTX3 is low in patients with sepsis. Systemic levels of PTX3 have prognostic value and may add to prognostication of patients with SIRS or sepsis, complementing severity-of-disease classification systems and other biological markers.
