Figure 1.

Identification and verification of the differential expression patterns of miRNAs in the aortic SMCs of patients with AAA. (A) Screening of miRNA sequences in serum samples from patients with AAA and paired controls using a PCR microarray. (B) Validation of microarray results for selected miRNAs that were significantly upregulated and downregulated in AAA samples when compared with controls, as determined by RT-qPCR analysis. To verify the accuracy of the microarray-based miRNA quantification, the six above-mentioned miRNAs (Let-7c, miR-499a, miR-144-3p, miR-192-5p, miR-504 and miR-542-3p) were re-examined using RT-qPCR. The results confirmed that the microarray data was reliable. (C) Confirmation of miRNA-504 expression in aortic SMCs derived from patients with AAA and paired controls by RT-qPCR analysis. **P<0.01 vs. controls. miRNA, microRNA; AAA, abdominal aortic aneurysm; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.