Background: Left ventricular assist device support in heart failure patients leads to changes in mRNA and protein expression in the myocardium.
Methods: MicroRNA's are important regulators of various cellular processes, so changes in their expression were tested by Q-PCR methods.
Results: LVAD support (independently of the duration) leads to a decrease of the expression of miR-1, miR-133a and miR-133b in DCM patients but to an increase in expression in IHD patients. The expression of miR's pre- and post-LVAD in heart failure patients was low compared to the level of miR's in control myocardial tissue.
Conclusions: Alterations in miRs expression might also be important during repair processes in IHD patients.