Novel genes detected by transcriptional profiling from whole-blood cells in patients with early onset of acute coronary syndrome

Background: Genome-wide expression analysis using microarrays has been used as a research strategy to discovery new biomarkers and candidate genes for a number of diseases. We aim to find new biomarkers for the prediction of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with a differentially expressed mRNA profiling approach using whole genomic expression analysis in a peripheral blood cell model from patients with early ACS. Methods and results: This study was carried out in two phases. On phase I a restricted clinical criteria (ACS-Phi, n = 9 and CC-Phi, n = 6) was used in order to select potential mRNA biomarkers candidates. A subsequent phase 2 study was performed using selected phase 1 markers analyzed by RT-qPCR using a larger and independent casuistic (ACS-Ph2, n = 74 and CG-Ph2, n = 41). A total of 549 genes were found to be differentially expressed in the first 48 h after the ACS-Phi. Technical and biological validation further confirmed that ALOX15, AREG, BCL2A1, BCL2L1, CA1, COX7B, ECHDC3, IL18R1, I8S2, KCNE1, MMP9, MYL4 and TREML4, are differentially expressed in both phases of this study. Conclusions: Transcriptomic analysis by microarray technology demonstrated differential expression during a 48 h time course suggesting a potential use of some of these genes as biomarkers for very early stages of ACS, as well as for monitoring early cardiac ischemic recovery. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.