AUTHOR=Lombardi Maria , Bonora Marta , Baldetti Luca , Pieri Marina , Scandroglio Anna Mara , Landoni Giovanni , Zangrillo Alberto , Foglieni Chiara , Consolo Filippo 

TITLE=Left ventricular assist devices promote changes in the expression levels of platelet microRNAs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1178556

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2023.1178556

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=MicroRNAs (miRs) emerged as promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in cardiovascular diseases. The potential clinical utility of platelet miRs in the setting of Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) support is unexplored. 
We prospectively measured the expression levels of twelve platelet miRs involved in platelet activation, coagulation, and cardiovascular diseases in LVAD patients by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Data were longitudinally measured before LVAD implant and after 1, 6, and 12 months of LVAD support, and compared with those measured in healthy volunteers (controls). In silico analysis was also performed to identify pathways targeted by differentially expressed miRs.
Data from 15 consecutive patients and 5 controls were analyzed. Pre-implant expression levels of platelet miR-126, miR-374b, miR-223 and miR-320a were significantly different in patients vs. controls. The expression levels of platelet miR-25, miR-144, miR-320 and miR-451a changed significantly over the course of LVAD support; in silico analysis revealed that these miRs are implicated in both cardiac- and coagulation-associated pathways. Furthermore, patients who suffered from bleeding (n=5, 33%) had significantly higher pre-implant expression levels of platelet miR-151a and miR-454 with respect to patients who did not. The same miRs were also differentially expressed in bleeders following LVAD implantation early before the clinical manifestation of the events. 
This study provides proof-of-concept evidence of significant modulation of platelet miRs expression driven by LVADs. The possible existence of a platelet miRs signature predictive of the development of bleeding events warrants further validation studies.