Background: Coronary artery diseases are the most important cause of premature death and it is predominantly related to atherosclerosis. Soluble lectin like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) and microRNAs are closely associated with atherosclerotic coronary heart diseases.
Aims: The current study investigated the relationship of plasma slOX-1and the severity of coronary artery disease patients (CAD) and association with microRNA-98.
Study Design: Case control study.
Material and Methods: Angiographically documented 38 single coronary lesions, 75 double coronary artery disease, 62 multi-vessel coronary artery disease patients, 62 healthy control subjects, and 24h hypoxic (1% O2) HUVEC cells were included in this study. Circulating sLOX-1concentrations were determined through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and microRNA-98 expressions were measured by the quantitative real- time polymerase chain reaction.
Results: The expressions of plasma sLOX-1 levels were progressively and significantly higher in single, double, and multi-vessel CAD patients than healthy control subjects (p<0.001). Circulating sLOX-1 concentrations in multi-vessel, double vessel and single vessel CAD female subjects had evidently elevated than male subjects (p<0.001). Plasma sLOX-1 values were remarkably increased in female different age groups CAD patients as compared with the same male age subjects (p<0.001). Single vessel diseased (AUC 0.879), double vessel diseased (AUC 0.928) and multi-vessel diseased (AUC 0.943) CAD patients have been clearly differentiated from healthy participants with high sensitivity and specificity.
The expression of microRNA-98 noticeably down-regulated in single, double and multi-vessel occluded CAD patients and hypoxic exposed HUVEC than controls (p<0.001). Significantly elevated LOX-1 and caspase-3 activity and remarkably decreased cellular viability in hypoxic injured HUVEC. On the contrary, mimic of microRNA-98 markedly reduced caspase-3 and LOX-1 levels and highly increased cellular viability.  
Conclusion: Elevated circulating plasma sLOX-1 levels have a potential impact to identify the severity of coronary artery disease and a strong correlation with aging as well as the female gender. Reduced plasma miR-98 level possible considers a risk factor for CAD, and agomiR-98 prevents atherosclerosis and cellular injury through targeting LOX-1.