Circulating Long Noncoding RNA GAS5 as a novel biomarker for patients with atrial fibrillation
Abstract Background Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) played a vital role in pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. However, its role in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unknown. The aim of this study is to identify the diagnostic value of lncRNA GAS5 for AF patients.Methods Four lncRNAs (NEAT1, GAS5, UCA1, and TUG1) were selected as potential biomarkers of AF. The circulating expression of lncRNAs were measured by qRT-PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under the ROC curve (AUC) were applied to assess their diagnostic value for AF.Results In screening trial, LncRNA GAS5 was down-regulated in AF patients, with no significant differences in other three lncRNAs. Then a total of 128 participants were enrolled including 85 AF patients and 43 controls. Circulating levels of GAS5 in AF patients were remarkably reduced compared with controls ( P <0.001). The AUC was 0.858, with 81.2% sensitivity and 86.0% specificity. Further, the downregulation of GAS5 was more significant in persistent rather than paroxysmal AF. Correlation analysis showed that GAS5 was negatively correlated with CHA2DS2-VASc score and several echocardiography indexes.Conclusions Circulating lncRNA GAS5 is a potential biomarker for AF diagnosis and may prognose AF progression and stroke risk.