Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in regulating diverse cellular processes in the vessel wall, including atherosclerosis. RNA-Seq profiling of intimal lesions revealed a lncRNA, VINAS (Vascular INflammation and Atherosclerosis lncRNA Sequence), that is enriched in the aortic intima and regulates vascular inflammation. Aortic intimal expression of VINAS fell with atherosclerotic progression and rose with regression. VINAS knockdown reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation by 55% in LDL receptor–deficient (LDLR ^–/– ) mice, independent of effects on circulating lipids, by decreasing inflammation in the vessel wall. Loss- and gain-of-function studies in vitro demonstrated that VINAS serves as a critical regulator of inflammation by modulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. VINAS knockdown decreased the expression of key inflammatory markers, such as MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and COX-2, in endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells, and bone marrow–derived macrophages. Moreover, VINAS silencing decreased expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules VCAM-1, E-selectin, and ICAM-1 and reduced monocyte adhesion to ECs. DEP domain containing 4 (DEPDC4), an evolutionary conserved human ortholog of VINAS with approximately 74% homology, showed similar regulation in human and pig atherosclerotic specimens. DEPDC4 knockdown replicated antiinflammatory effects of VINAS in human ECs. These findings reveal a potentially novel lncRNA that regulates vascular inflammation, with broad implications for vascular diseases.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, adverse cardiovascular events, and the severity of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A literature review was performed of studies regarding IL-6 and ACS extracted from databases including EMBASE, Cqvip, MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang data. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the literature. The literature was screened, its quality was evaluated, and relevant data were extracted for performing meta-analysis using RevMan software (version 5.3). A total of 524 studies were included in the initial survey. After several rounds of screening and analysis, six studies met the inclusion criteria and underwent meta-analysis using a fixed-effect model. Patients were divided into non-severe and severe groups based on the concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Meta-analysis of the relationship between IL-6 and the severity of ACS showed that the plasma IL-6 level of patients in the severe group was significantly higher than that of patients in the non-severe group (p<0.00001). Additionally, patients with experience of major adverse cardiovascular events had significantly higher plasma IL-6 levels than did patients without experience of such events (p<0.00001). In summary, patients with ACS and high IL-6 levels tended to be in a critical condition, with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events and worse prognosis. Thus, IL-6 levels could indicate whether patients with ACS may have adverse cardiovascular events and determine the severity of ACS.

We aim to investigate cardiovascular mortality risk among diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients and explore cardiovascular mortality trends in the past decades in United States. We extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for adult patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 1975 and 2019. Standardized mortality ratio, joinpoint regression analysis, and competing risk model were analyzed. Overall, 49,918 patients were enrolled, of whom 4167 (8.3%) cardiovascular deaths were observed, which was 1.22 times the number expected (95%CI, 1.19-1.26). During 1985-2019, the incidence-based cardiovascular mortality rate increased by 0.98% per year (95%CI, 0.58-1.39%), with statistically significant increases in age groups younger than 75 years. The cumulative mortality from cardiovascular disease increased by age but never exceeded that from DLBCL. Older age, male sex, earlier year of diagnosis, lower tumor stage at diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery were all poor prognostic factors for cardiovascular mortality.