Plasma miR-124-3p and miR-16 concentrations as prognostic markers in acute stroke.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate plasma concentrations of miR-124-3p and miR-16 as prognostic markers in emergency department patients with acute stroke.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma concentrations of miR-124-3p and miR-16 of 84 stroke patients (presenting to the emergency department within 24h from onset of symptoms) were determined by RT-qPCR. The primary outcome measure was 3-month mortality and the secondary outcome measure was post-stroke modified Rankin Score (mRS).

RESULTS: Twelve patients (14.3%) died within 3months of hospital admission and forty-one (48.8%) patients as achieved a 3-month mRS>2. Median plasma miR-124-3p concentrations were elevated in patients who died compared to patients who survived (p=0.0052), and its levels were found to be higher in patients with a 3-month mRS>2 compared with patients with mRS≤2 (p=0.0312). Higher plasma miR-16 concentrations were observed in patients who survived than in patients who died (p=0.0394), while its concentrations were lower in patients achieving mRS>2 than in patients with mRS≤2 (p=0.0124). For a subgroup of cases presenting to the emergency department within 6h from time of symptom onset (n=36), plasma miR-124-3p concentrations predicted 3-month mortality with an area under the ROC curve of 0.87 (95%CI: 0.72-0.96).

CONCLUSIONS: Plasma miR-124-3p and miR-16 are molecular markers which could be useful for the early prediction of mortality and mRS.