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

Abstract

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.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Artery Research, 2026 · DOI ↗