International Journal of Molecular and Cellular Medicine (IJMCM)

Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of death in developed nations. The key risk factors for atherosclerosis are inflammation and lipid disorders which may all be influenced by microRNAs (miRs). This study evaluated the correlation between miR-20a-5p, miR-124-3p, miR-125b-5p, and key atherogenic and inflammatory genes (TLR4, Resistin, CD36, TNF-α) in PBMCs from patients with angiography-proven atherosclerosis. 45 healthy individuals and 45 atherosclerosis patients were selected. After sampling patients and isolating in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cells, gene levels were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In the atherosclerosis patient group, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and Resistin were upregulated compared to the control group (p <0.05). Conversely, miR-20a was downregulated in patients and inversely correlated with fasting blood glucose (p <0.05). Additionally, miR-124 expression with Resistin had a significant negative correlation (p <0.05). The study confirmed that the expression level of miR-125b levels may serve as a potential biomarker for atherosclerosis (p <0.01). The reduction of miR-20a was related to the risk of developing atherosclerosis (p <0.05). miR-20a, miR-124, and miR-125b present promising therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis. Since atherosclerosis has no specific clinical symptoms and early diagnosis is very important, the diagnostic biomarker miR-125b has the potential to significantly aid in the early detection of various diseases with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74, 52% sensitivity, and 74% specificity. In addition, the measurement of miR-20a helps determine the progression of atherosclerosis risk.