Identification of lncRNA-mRNA regulatory network associated with isolated systolic hypertension and atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.

Abstract

BackgroundIncreasingly, evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). However, a systematic lncRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory network is still absent in isolated systolic hypertension and atherosclerotic cerebral infarction patients (ISH & ACI). This research aimed to establish a lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network in patients with ISH & ACI, to probe into the potential functions of lncRNA in such patients.MethodsExpression profiles of lncRNA and mRNAs were collected and compared, from 8 patients with ISH and 8 patients with ISH & ACI by RNA-seq data. Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were screened out via high-throughput sequencing in the plasma of ISH/ACI patients and control ISH patients. Then, a lncRNA-mRNA interaction network was built using the Pearson correlation coefficient by Cytoscape software. The expression levels of the hub genes and lncRNAs were verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in another 10 ISH/ACI patients and 10 control patients. This study was approved by the responsible institutional review board (IRB) and informed consent was provided by participants.ResultsA total of 2,768 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 747 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified. We identified two hub genes (CD226 and PARVB) and 11 lncRNAs in the lncRNA-mRNA interaction network. The results of qRT-PCR and cell assay verified that lncRNAs ENST00000590604 and CD226 are highly expressed in patients of ISH & ACI. Further, CD226 was associated with vascular endothelial cells growth and stability through the platelet activation and focal adhesion pathway.ConclusionsWe established a novel mRNA-lncRNA interaction network. The lncRNAs ENST00000590604 and CD226 might be the potential biomarkers of ISH & ACI.