The diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating microRNAs in coronary artery disease: A novel approach to disease diagnosis of stable CAD and acute coronary syndrome

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common manifestation of CVD and the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with a substantial morbidity and mortality in most populations globally. There are several biomarkers for diagnosis of MI. Troponin is routinely used as a biomarker in patients with chest pain, but it lacks sensitivity in the first hours of onset of symptoms, and so there is still a clinical need for new biomarkers for the diagnosis of CAD events. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs are involved in atherosclerotic plaque formation and their expression is altered during CAD events. Whilst studies have shown that several miRNAs are not superior to troponin in the diagnosis of a MI, they may be useful in the early diagnosis and prognosis of patients with CAD, however further studies are required. In this review we have summarized the recent studies investigating circulating miRNAs as novel biomarkers for the early detection of MI, CVD risk stratification and in the assessment of the prognosis of patients with ACS.