Imagine our body’s cardiovascular system as a complex highway system, with blood vessels and proteins traveling to various destinations. In this study, scientists focused on a specific protein pathway called Corin-BNP-NEP, which plays a role in atrial fibrillation (AF)-related ischemic stroke. They discovered that as we age, the levels of Corin-BNP-NEP proteins increase, making it a risk marker for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases like AF and stroke. The researchers also explored how DNA methylation, a process related to aging and epigenetics, affects this protein pathway. By investigating 82 patients with ischemic strokes, they found that patients with AF-related stroke had higher levels of Corin and BNP proteins compared to those without AF-related stroke. Additionally, the promoters of the Corin protein gene in the AF-stroke group showed a lower level of CpG methylation. These exciting findings suggest that the Corin-BNP-NEP protein pathway may play a crucial role in AF-related ischemic stroke, and CpG methylation in the Corin protein gene could be associated with this condition. To dive deeper into this fascinating research and understand how these proteins and DNA methylation contribute to stroke, check out the full article!

BackgroundThe incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke increases with aging. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) family, including Corin-B type natriuretic peptide (BNP)-neprilysin (NEP) protein levels increased with age and are risk markers of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as AF and cardioembolic stroke. Aging is also linked to epigenetics, specifically DNA methylation. However, only a few studies have investigated the effect of DNA methylation on the NP system. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether the Corin-BNP-NEP protein pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of AF-stroke and CpG methylation in the promoter region of the Corin protein gene has an effect on AF-related ischemic stroke.MethodsA total of 82 patients hospitalized with acute ischemic strokes were enrolled in this study. The differences in clinical information were compared between the AF-stroke (n = 37) and no AF-stroke groups (n = 45). Plasma-soluble Corin and NEP were detected using an ELISA kit. CpG methylation in the promoter region of the gene was assessed by a next-generation sequencing-based bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (BSP).Results(1) Patients in AF-stroke were older, had higher initial NIHSS score, 90-day mRs, higher D2-dimer, INR, and APTT, and low TG, TC, and HbA1c (all p < 0.05). (2) Serum levels of Corin and BNP in the AF-stroke group were significantly higher than that in the no AF-stroke group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was detected in the serum levels of NEP between the two groups. (3) The levels of CpG methylation in the promoter region of the Corin protein gene in the AF-stroke group was significantly lower than that in the no AF-stroke group (p < 0.05). The CpG sites with maximal methylation differences between the two groups were CORIN:678, CORIN:682, CORIN:694, and CORIN:700.ConclusionThe current findings raise the possibility that the Corin–BNP–NEP protein pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of AF-related ischemic stroke. Deficient CpG methylation in the promoter region of the Corin protein gene is associated with AF-related ischemic stroke.

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