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

Download Mobile App




Serum MicroRNAs Predict Likelihood of Pregnant Women Developing Pre-Eclampsia

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 02 Jun 2020
Print article
Image: Pre-eclampsia: high magnification micrograph of hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy, as seen in pregnancy-induced hypertension. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Image: Pre-eclampsia: high magnification micrograph of hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy, as seen in pregnancy-induced hypertension. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
MicroRNA biomarkers have been identified in the blood of asymptomatic pregnant women that can be used to predict the potential onset of pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by the onset of high blood pressure and often a significant amount of protein in the urine. When it arises, the condition begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In severe disease there may be red blood cell breakdown, a low blood platelet count, impaired liver function, kidney dysfunction, swelling, shortness of breath due to fluid in the lungs, or visual disturbances. Pre-eclampsia increases the risk of poor outcomes for both the mother and the baby. If left untreated, it may result in seizures at which point it is known as eclampsia. Ten to 15% of maternal mortality is associated with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a class of about 20 nucleotides-long RNA fragments that block gene expression by attaching to molecules of messenger RNA in a fashion that prevents them from transmitting the protein synthesizing instructions they had received from the DNA. With their capacity to fine-tune protein expression via sequence-specific interactions, miRNAs help regulate cell maintenance and differentiation. In addition to miRNAs playing an essential role in tumor development, dysregulation of certain miRNAs has been associated with many different diseases, such as dementia, and cardiovascular conditions.

Development of effective prevention and treatment strategies for pre-eclampsia has been limited by the lack of accurate methods for identification of at-risk pregnancies. To correct this situation, investigators at the University of California, San Diego (USA) and colleagues at Sera Prognostics, Inc.(Salt Lake City, UT, USA), a biomedical company specializing in diagnostic tests for predicting risk of premature birth, performed small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of maternal serum extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) to discover and verify miRNAs differentially expressed in patients who later developed pre-eclampsia.

For this study, the investigators monitored 141 subjects (49 cases, 92 controls) in a discovery cohort and 71 subjects (24 cases, 47 controls) in a separate verification cohort. The subjects were asymptomatic pregnant women between 17 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Results of RNA-seq analysis of the subjects’ sera revealed two single-miRNA biomarkers (univariate) and 29 two-miRNA (bivariate) biomarkers that were able to predict later onset of pre-eclampsia. The majority of verified biomarkers contained the microRNA miR-155-5p, which had been reported to mediate the pre-eclampsia-associated repression of the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). In addition, deconvolution analysis revealed that several verified miRNA biomarkers came from the placenta and were likely carried by placenta-specific extracellular vesicles.

“The ability to identify pregnancies at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia would be of great value to patients and their doctors to better personalize prenatal care,” said senior author Dr. Louise Laurent, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Diego. “This would enable prompt detection and optimal management of pregnancies that develop pre-eclampsia. And the information could be used to better identify participants for research studies testing preventive therapies.”

“We look forward to the clinical validation of these novel miRNA biomarkers of pre-eclampsia through our continued collaboration with Dr. Laurent and the University of California, San Diego,” said Dr. Jay Boniface, chief scientific officer at Sera Prognostics. “Innovative bioinformatics approaches have enabled their discovery and the prospect of creating predictors for individualized risk of pregnancy complications.”

The pre-eclampsia study was published in the May 19, 2020 online edition of the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

Related Links:
University of California, San Diego
Sera Prognostics, Inc.


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
HLX
POCT Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer
FIA Go
New
Gold Member
Fully Automated Cell Density/Viability Analyzer
BioProfile FAST CDV

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 Gazelle Hb Variant Test (Photo courtesy of Hemex Health)

First Affordable and Rapid Test for Beta Thalassemia Demonstrates 99% Diagnostic Accuracy

Hemoglobin disorders rank as some of the most prevalent monogenic diseases globally. Among various hemoglobin disorders, beta thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, affects about 1.5% of the world's... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The new platform is designed to perform blood-based diagnoses of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New Blood Test Cuts Diagnosis Time for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections from Months to Hours

Breathing in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a common experience for many people. These bacteria are present in water systems, soil, and dust all over the world and usually don't cause any problems.... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: These new assays are being developed for use on the recently introduced DxI 9000 Immunoassay Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Beckman Coulter)

Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio Expand Partnership on Neurodegenerative Disease Diagnostics

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Brea, CA, USA) and Fujirebio Diagnostics (Tokyo, Japan) have expanded their partnership focused on the development, manufacturing and clinical adoption of neurodegenerative... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.