Circulating exosomes and exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 in atherosclerosis.

Background: Exosomes which mainly function in intercellular communication and lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 which can be transferred by exosomes, have been shown to play a significant role in atherosclerosis. This study aims to explore the diagnostic value of exosomes and exosomal lncRNA HIF in atherosclerosis.

Methods: Plasma sample from 35 patients with atherosclerosis and from 28 healthy adults were collected for further investigation. The exosomes were extracted from the plasma sample and then the concentration of exosomes was measured by flow cytometry. Then the exosomal RNA was isolated and exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Finally, the concentration of exosomes and the expression level of exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 were analyzed using Spearman's correlation test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for evaluation of diagnostic accuracy of exosomes and exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1.

Results: The concentration of exosomes was significantly higher in patients with atherosclerosis than that in healthy people, the same as the expression level of exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1. Furthermore, the result of Spearman's correlation test indicated that there was a positive correlation between them. Last, we also showed that the area values under the ROC curves of exosomes and lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 were 0.856 and 0.823, respectively.

Conclusion: Exosomes and exosomal lncRNA HIF1A-AS1 could act as potential biomarkers for atherosclerosis.