Placenta-specific plasma miR518b is a potential biomarker for preeclampsia

• Published in: Clinical biochemistry Vol. 79; pp. 28 - 33
• Main Authors: Jelena, Munjas, Sopić, Miron, Joksić, Ivana, Zmrzljak, Ursula Prosenc, Karadžov-Orlić, Nataša, Košir, Rok, Egić, Amira, Miković, Željko, Ninić, Ana, Spasojević-Kalimanovska, Vesna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Circulating MicroRNA - blood; Digital droplet PCR; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; MicroRNAs - blood; Middle Aged; miR210-3p; miR518b; Placenta; Pre-Eclampsia - blood; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy; Young Adult; Digital droplet PCR; miR518b; Preeclampsia; miR210-3p
• ISSN: 0009-9120; 1873-2933
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2020.02.012

MicroRNAs have a significant role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Circulating microRNAs could represent a potential biomarker for preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma miR210-3p and miR518b in preeclampsia and healthy pregnancy for the first time by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). Thirty-six pregnant women (seventeen healthy pregnancies, nineteen preeclampsia patients) were involved from the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics “Narodni front” in Belgrade, Serbia. Plasma miR210-3p, miR518b and cel-miR-39 as a spike-in control were measured by ddPCR. MiR518b was significantly elevated in preeclampsia compared to a healthy pregnancy (P = 0.034; 0.302(0.217–0.421) vs. 0.171(0.110–0.266)). MiR210-3p showed no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.951). The adjustment of miR518b was made for a gestational age and smoking status and the difference between the preeclampsia and healthy pregnancy group was more significant (P = 0.026; 0.300(0.216–0.419) vs. 0.172(0.121–0.245)). Plasma miR-518b was significantly higher in the group of preeclampsia patients with proteinuria above the 75th percentile for the group (P = 0.033), in women who smoked (P = 0.039), and was positively related to uric acid in preeclampsia (P = 0.018, r = 0.536). Plasma miR518b was able to significantly discriminate between preeclampsia and healthy pregnancy, yielding AUC of 0.712 (95%CI:0.539–0.891), P = 0.028. In this study plasma microRNA were measured for the first time in preeclampsia and healthy pregnancies with ddPCR. Placenta-specific miR-518b could serve as a potential biomarker for discriminating preeclampsia and healthy pregnancy, which should be confirmed on a larger study population. This study has failed to confirm the same potential for miR210-3p.