Rosetta Genomics this week announced the publication of data by company researchers showing that downregulation of microRNA-150 is correlated to atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with chronic systolic heart failure.
The report, which appeared the American Journal of Cardiology, demonstrated that the miRNA's expression was 3.2-fold lower in the platelets and serum of heart failure patients with AF compared with those patients without the arrhythmia.
The serum levels of miR-150 were correlated to platelet levels of miR-150 in patients with AF, Rosetta stated.
Meanwhile, a comparison of miRNA expression levels in platelets from patients with heart failure and controls, none of the miRNAs examined in the study showed significant differences between the groups — a finding the company said shows that platelet miRNA expression levels are not significantly altered by heart failure.
Rosetta is currently developing an assay that uses blood-based miRNAs as biomarker for the early diagnosis and risk stratification of heart failure patients. The test is expected to be available in 2017.