Long noncoding RNA DANCR expression and its predictive value in patients with atherosclerosis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act crucial roles in the progression of vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. This study aims to investigate the expression levels of the atherosclerosis-associated lncRNA DANCR in patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis and whether its abnormal expression affects the progress of atherosclerosis. The expression of DANCR in the serum samples of all study participants was quantified using RT-qPCR. Then, the predictive capacities of DANCR for the detection of atherosclerosis patients were evaluated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The effects of DANCR on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation and migration were then explored using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell migration assays. The DANCR exhibited increased expression trends in patients with atherosclerosis than healthy controls. Moreover, there were differences in the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), homocysteine (Hcy), and C-reactive protein (CRP) between the healthy controls and atherosclerosis patients. The DANCR expression was positively correlated with serum LDL-C, Hcy, and CRP levels. DANCR expression could distinguish patients with atherosclerosis from healthy individuals with a high area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. Additionally, knockdown of DANCR weakened the proliferative abilities and migration capacities of VSMCs. It was also shown that DANCR could compete with miR-335-5p binding. Herein, it appears that the LncRNA DANCR was closely associated with the progression of atherosclerosis by targeting miR-335-5p, which might be a potential detective predictor and target for the treatment of atherosclerosis.