Diagnostic Value of miR-20a-5p and its Role in Modulating Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression via HIF1A

Abstract Background Coronary atherosclerosis (CA) is a chronic condition featured with abnormal lipid accumulation as well as inflammation. MiR-20a-5p is a key regulator in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and angiogenesis. However, the potential role of miR-20a-5p in CA remains unknown. Objective This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of miR-20a-5p and its potential regulatory role in CA. Materials and Methods This study included 109 patients diagnosed with CA and 101 control individuals. The relative expression of miR-20a-5p, MMP-2, MMP-9, SM22α and OPN were analyzed by RT-qPCR. The diagnostic performance of miR-20a-5p was assessed by ROC curve. The proliferation capacity was evaluated via CCK-8 while migration ability was assessed by transwell assay. Targets of miR-20a-5p were predicted via bioinformatics. Results Serum miR-20a-5p was prominently reduced in patients with CA. The area under ROC was 0.841 with the sensitivity of 81.65% and the specificity of 75.25%. Suppressed miR-20a-5p remarkedly enhanced cell proliferation and migration and promoted the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The miR-20a-5p inhibition reduced the expression of the contractile marker SM22α and facilitated the synthetic phenotype marker OPN. HIF1A was negatively regulated by miR-20a-5p. Conclusion Significantly reduced miR-20a-5p showed high diagnostic value in CA. Reduced miR-20a-5p facilitated the progression of CA by accelerating cell proliferation and migration, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and the phenotypic transition of VSMCs via interaction with HIF1A.