NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING DETECTS DYSREGULATED PLACENTAL MICRORNAS IN PREECLAMPSIA

Introduction: To determine the miRNA expression profile in pregnancies complicated by Preeclampsia (PE) and compare it to uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods: Seventeen placentas from women with PE, [all of them being late onset PE (LOPE)], as well as 17 placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies were analyzed using miRNA NGS. For statistical analyses the MATLAB® simulation environment was applied. The expression of miR-99b and miR-23b were verified using Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: Two miRNAs were found dysregulated in PE complicated placentas. Statistical analysis revealed that miR-99b and miR-23b were under-expressed in complicated placentas as compared to controls. Discussion: Since specific miRNAs can differentiate complicated from uncomplicated pregnancies, they may be considered as putative PE-specific biomarkers. Blood samples were collected from 17 women with PE (all of them being LOPE) and from 17 with uncomplicated term pregnancies at the time of cesarean section in the 3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Plasma was separated from the collected blood samples, which was used for further analysis. From the 17 pre-eclampsia samples, 5 were used for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) miRNA expression analysis, as well as from the 17 control samples 5 were similarly used for NGS miRNA analysis. Differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were further evaluated in all 34 samples, using qRT-PCR in order to confirm DE miRNA expression.