Combined Value of Serum miR-124, TNF-α and IL-1β for Vulnerable Carotid Plaque in Acute Cerebral Infarction.

Abstract

To analyse correlation between serum miR-124, TNF-α and IL-1β levels and carotid vulnerable spots in acute cerebral infarction (ACI) patients, and explore the value of above biomarkers in diagnosing carotid artery plaques in ACI patients. Descriptive study. Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Medical College, China, from January 2018 to November 2019. A total of 160 ACI patients with carotid atherosclerosis were divided into 73 cases of stable plaque group and 87 cases of vulnerable plaque group based on the results of carotid ultrasound. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate efficacy of serum miR-124, TNF-α and IL-1β used alone or in combination to diagnose carotid vulnerable plaques in ACI. Serum miR-124 relative expression, TNF-α and IL-1β levels in vulnerable plaque group were higher than those in stable plaque group (all p<0.001). Serum miR-124 in vulnerable plaque group was positively correlated with TNF-α and IL-1β levels (r = 0.976, p<0.001; and r = 0.974, p <0.001). AUC for miR-124, TNF-α, and IL-1β combined in diagnosis of vulnerable carotid plaques was 0.853 (95% CI: 0.790-0.915), with a sensitivity of 82.80%, and a specificity of 78.90%. The AUC diagnosed by miR-124, TNF-α, and IL-1β was greater than all the AUCs diagnosed by three indicators alone. Serum miR-124, TNF-α and IL-1β can be used as indicators for early auxiliary diagnosis of vulnerable carotid plaques in patients with ACI, and combination of the three has the best diagnostic efficacy. Key Words: Acute cerebral infarction (ACI) Serum, miR-124, TNF-α, IL-1β, Vulnerable carotid plaque.