MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in exosomes play crucial roles in the onset, progression and metastasis of cancer by regulating the stability of target mRNAs or by inhibiting translation. In the present study, differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in exosomes of 27 breast cancer patients and 3 healthy controls using RNA sequencing. The differentially expressed microRNAs were selected by bioinformatic analysis. Subjects were followed up for 2 years and exosomal miRNA profiles were compared between patients with and without recurrence of breast cancer. A total of 30 complementary DNA libraries were constructed and sequenced and 1,835 miRNAs were detected. There were no significant differences in the expression of miRNAs between the basal-like, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2+, luminal A, luminal B and healthy control (HC) groups. A total of 54 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients vs. HCs, including 20 upregulated and 34 downregulated miRNAs. The results of the reverse transcription-quantitative PCR were consistent with this. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicated that miR-150-5p [area under the curve (AUC)=0.705, upregulated], miR-576-3p (AUC=0.691, upregulated), miR-4665-5p (AUC=0.681, upregulated) were able to distinguish breast cancer patients with recurrence from those without recurrence. In conclusion, the present results indicated differences in miRNA expression profiles between patients with TNBC and healthy controls. Certain exosomal miRNAs were indicated to have promising predictive value as biomarkers for distinguishing breast cancer with recurrence from non-recurrence, which may be utilized for preventive strategies.

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Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that are found in the cytoplasm or stored in the exosomes, where they are not affected by RNA exonucleases. CircRNAs are widely expressed in mammalian tissues and cells. A number of studies have suggested that circRNAs are associated with the physiology and pathology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Therefore, circRNAs have been considered as effector molecules and biomarkers in the cardiovascular system. The present review article summarizes the biological origin and roles of circRNAs as well as the available databases and research methods for their identification. Furthermore, it describes their regulatory mechanisms in cardiovascular physiology and pathology, including the regulation of atherosclerosis, immunity, cell proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, the current review discusses the unresolved problems in circRNA research and the application of circRNAs in the treatment of CVDs. Finally, the CVD-associated circRNAs are also reviewed.