OBJECTIVETo study the differential microRNAs expression between patients with essential hypertension and healthy controls.

METHODSWhole blood from 15 hypertensive patients and 5 controls healthies were separated into plasma at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. MicroRNAs were harvested using kit, and stored at -80°C. MicroRNAs profiling were performed using Exiqon microRCURY(TM) LNA microRNAs array, and were quantitative RT-PCR for the differential microRNAs expression. In addition, we used a set of plasma samples from 24 hypertensive patients and 22 healthy donors to independently validate the expression of these signature microRNAs.

RESULTSMicroRNAs expression profile was found to be differentially in the essential hypertensive patients compared with the healthy donors. Of 1700 microRNAs detected on the microarray, 46 microRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in the essential hypertensive patient, 27 microRNAs were collected in Sanger microRNAs data-bank, the function of remaining 19 microRNAs were unknown. In the 27 microRNAs, 9 microRNAs were up-regulated in the hypertension patient samples, while 18 known microRNAs were down-regulated. MiR-296-5p (Fold change 0.47, P = 0.013) and miR-133b (Fold change 0.57, P = 0.033) were consistently down-regulated in the patient plasma, whereas let-7e (Fold change 1.62, P = 0.009) and hcmv-miR-UL112 (Fold change 2.72, P = 0.004), one human cytomegalovirus encoded microRNAs, were up-regulated in the patient samples. The microRNAs expression was independently validated using another sample. We showed that MHC class I polypeptide-related chain B (MHC class I polypeptide-related chain B, MICB) and Interferon regulatory factor 1 (Interferon regulatory factor 1, IRF1) were functional targets of hcmv-miR-UL112 by fluorescent reporter assays.

CONCLUSIONSThe hypertensive patients have distinct microRNAs expression Profile. Hcmv-miR-UL112 may have important implications toward pathogenesis of essential hypertension.