Circulating long noncoding RNA ANRIL downregulation correlates with increased risk, higher disease severity and elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Abstract

Background: To investigate the correlation of plasma lncRNA ANRIL expression with stroke risk, severity and inflammatory cytokines levels in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: A total of 126 AIS patients and 125 controls were consecutively recruited in this case-control study. Blood samples from all participants were collected, and plasma was separated. Plasma lncRNA ANRIL expression was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were used to assess the stroke severity in AIS patients. Results: Plasma lncRNA ANRIL expression was lower in AIS patients than in controls (P < 0.001), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed a good prediction value of lncRNA ANRIL for AIS risk with area under curve (AUC) of 0.759 (95% CI: 0.741-0.849). In addition, lncRNA ANRIL expression was negatively correlated with NIHSS score (r = −0.351, P < 0.001). Furthermore, while lncRNA ANRIL expression was negatively associated with hs-CRP level (r = −0.247, P = 0.005), no correlation was found between lncRNA ANRIL expression and ESR level (P = 0.619). For inflammatory cytokines, lncRNA ANRIL expression was inversely associated with TNF-α (r = −0.216, P = 0.015) and IL-6 levels (r = −0.326, P < 0.001), while it positively correlated with IL-10 level (r = 0.210, P = 0.018). Conclusion: Circulating lncRNA ANRIL downregulation correlates with increased stroke risk, higher disease severity and elevated inflammation in AIS patients.