We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

Illumina

Illumina develops, manufactures and markets integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variations and biological ... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Early-Onset Preeclampsia Risk Reflected in Circulating Maternal Transcripts

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 13 Jul 2020
Print article
Image: RNA from all bodily organs is present in the blood and can be used to detect pregnancy complications (Photo courtesy of Illumina).
Image: RNA from all bodily organs is present in the blood and can be used to detect pregnancy complications (Photo courtesy of Illumina).
Preeclampsia is a poorly understood pregnancy-associated disorder. Often marked by hypertension, preeclampsia can lead to severe complications including internal bleeding, seizures, stroke, premature birth, and death.

Preeclampsia can develop suddenly, and identifying who is at risk of the condition is difficult. Circulating RNA (C-RNA) is continually released into the bloodstream from tissues throughout the body, offering an opportunity to noninvasively monitor all aspects of pregnancy health from conception to birth.

A team of scientists led by those at Illumina (San Diego, CA, USA) used transcriptome enrichment and sequencing to search for preeclampsia-related RNAs in blood samples collected over time from more than 100 pregnant women with or without early-onset preeclampsia, a condition linked to a rise in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality risk. They sequenced the circulating transcriptome from 40 pregnancies at the time of severe, early-onset preeclampsia diagnosis and 73 gestational age–matched controls.

The investigators saw more than three-dozen suspicious transcripts with enhanced representation in blood plasma from the preeclampsia pregnancies, focusing in on 30 preeclampsia-related circulating transcripts with follow-up quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and validation analyses.

The team brought in machine learning classifier clues, and they acquired a set of 49 circulating RNA transcripts that could pick up early-onset preeclampsia pregnancies with between 85% and 89% accuracy, on average, in another group of two dozen women with or without preeclampsia. The average accuracy of the circulating RNA-based classifier dipped to around 72% for women in the validation cohort experiencing late-onset preeclampsia. Differential expression analysis identified the 30 transcripts with gene ontology annotations and tissue expression patterns consistent with the placental dysfunction, impaired fetal development, and maternal immune and cardiovascular system dysregulation characteristic of preeclampsia.

The authors concluded that they had detected molecular changes specific to the complex pathophysiology of early-onset severe preeclampsia at the time of diagnosis, supporting robust classification across cohorts. They noted that the altered circulating RNA transcripts identified represented contributions from maternal, placental, and fetal tissues, many of which would not be captured in studies focusing on placental tissues collected after delivery. The study was published on July 1, 2020 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
HLX
POCT Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer
FIA Go
Gold Member
Xylazine Immunoassay Test
Xylazine ELISA

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.