The involvement of circulating miR-146a and miR-27a in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Background

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a group of clinical diseases based on pathology of atherosclerosis that is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. There is a bidirectional interaction between ASCVD and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Alterations in circulating miRNAs levels are involved in the development of ASCVD in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, however, the correlation between ASCVD co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and alterations of cardiac-specific miRNAs is not well understood.

Hypothesis

The circulating miR-146a and miR-27a are involved in bidirectional interactions between ASCVD and SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Methods

Circulating miR-146a and miR-27a levels were measured in serum and PBMCs deriving from ASCVD patients and controls after SARS-CoV-2 infection by qRT-PCR analysis. The levels of neutralizing antibodies-resistant SARS-CoV-2 in human serum was determined by competitive magnetic particle chemiluminescence method. Interleukin (IL)-6 levels were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer using electrochemiluminescence.

Results

Significant downregulation of circulating miR-146a and upregulation of miR-27a in ASCVD patients after infection with SARS-CoV-2 compared with controls were observed, among which the alterations were more evident in ASCVD patients comorbid with hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus. Consistently, correlation analysis revealed that serum miR-146a and miR-27a levels were associated with the levels of lipids and glucose, inflammatory response, and immune function in ASCVD patients. Remarkably, SARS-CoV-2 S protein RBD stimulation of PBMCs derived from both ASCVD and controls significantly downregulated miR-146a, upregulated miR-27a expression levels, and promoted IL-6 release in vitro.

Conclusions

The circulating miR-146a and miR-27a are involved in metabolism, inflammation, and immune levels in patients with ASCVD after SARS-CoV-2 infection, laying the foundation for the development of strategies to prevent the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ASCVD patients.