Heart Failure (HF) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic HF (CHF) can be classified as HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF), and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Currently, there is an unmet need for a minimally invasive diagnostic tool to differentiate different forms of CHF. Studies suggest that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) could be used as diagnostic and prognostic tools.
We aimed to investigate the diagnostic potential of circulating miRNAs for the detection of different CHF forms via a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Using comprehensive search strategy we identified 45 relevant studies in different databases (MedLine, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase). After qualitative assessment, 29 studies out of 45 studies were used for quantitative assessment and allowed to identify miRNA panels able to detect HFrEF (AUC: 0.86) and HFpEF (AUC: 0.79). A panel of eight miRNAs (hsa-miR-18b-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-92b-3p, hsa-miR-129-5p, hsa-miR-320a-5p, hsa-miR-423-5p, and hsa-miR-675-5p) identified HFrEF patients with a sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.88. A panel of seven miRNAs (hsa-miR-19b-3p, hsa-miR-30c-5p, hsa-miR-206, hsa-miR-221-3p, hsa-miR-328-5p, hsa-miR-375-3p, and hsa-miR-424-5p) identified HFpEF patients with a sensitivity of 0.82 and a specificity of 0.61. Due to the lack of data, we could not perform the analysis regarding HFmrEF.
Our study showed reasonable performance of miRNAs in the detection of HFrEF and HFpEF. Furthermore, our data suggest that the use of miRNAs can improve the diagnostic power of conventional biomarkers in different forms of CHF. However, for a complete evaluation of the potential role of miRNAs in the detection of CHF, larger population studies are still required.
Eur J Heart Fail. 2022 Sep 25
PMID: 36161443, DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.2700
