Potential use of miR-21-5p as a marker for cardiovascular disease progression after COVID-19

This study evaluates the significance of blood microRNA (miR-21-5p) levels as a biomarker for the development or progression of cardiovascular diseases after COVID-19. The levels of circulating miR-21-5p in the blood were analyzed in 120 patients with cardiovascular diseases recovering from COVID-19. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, six groups of patients were formed with 20 patients in each of them. All patients had previously suffered from COVID-19 required hospital care. The groups were divided by the presence of previously verified coronary heart disease, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, as well as the absence of diagnosed cardiovascular diseases. The patients were also divided into those with worsening of preexisting circulatory system diseases or their onset and those without such diseases. All patients underwent circulatory system examination before and after COVID-19. Statistically significant differences in miR-21-5p levels were revealed when comparing groups with previously verified coronary heart disease with and without worsening, as well as groups without preexisting cardiovascular diseases. No statistically significant differences in cardiovascular diseases progression were identified when comparing patients with previously verified hypertension or atherosclerosis. Therefore, blood miR-21-5p appears to be a promising biomarker for assessing the progression of coronary heart disease, including in patients recovering from COVID-19. This method correlates with clinical observations in patients with coronary heart disease, as well as diagnostic investigation data. Further studies on larger cohorts of patients with cardiovascular diseases and follow-up monitoring of miR-21-5p expression levels may increase the informative value of this biomarker. It could aid in clinical decision-making process and follow-up monitoring of patients with such diseases in order to reduce adverse complications.