Hsa_circ_0046159 is involved in the development of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

The present study was performed to screen for potential molecular biomarkers and to assess the underlying mechanisms of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) by using sequencing data analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Total RNA was isolated from peripheral-blood samples from five CTEPH patients and from five normal individuals. Based upon the identification of differentially expressed miRNAs (Affymetrix miRNA chip) and circRNAs (Agilent circRNA chip), target predictions for these differentially expressed miRNAs and functional enrichment analyses of the miRNAs and circRNAs were performed. Subsequently, the miRNA partner predictions of these differentially expressed circRNAs and co-expression analyses of differentially expressed circRNAs and miRNAs were conducted. Based on the results of these analyses, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed. Finally, the expression of circRNAs was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Within the miRNA–circRNA regulatory network, hsa_circ_0026480 and hsa_circ_0046159 were predicted to interact with miR-27a-3p and miR-1226-3p, respectively with greater degree. Specially, ATP2A2 —that had a ceRNA relationship with hsa_circ_0046159—was predicted as a target of miR-1226-3p. The results of RT-PCR also revealed a significantly increased expression of hsa_circ_0046159 in CTEPH samples than that in normal samples.