Dysregulated Placental Micrornas In Early And Late Onset Preeclampsia

Introduction: To determine the miRNA expression profile in placentas complicated by Preeclampsia (PE) and compare it to uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods: Sixteen placentas from women with PE, including 11 with early onset PE (EOPE) and 5 with late onset PE (LOPE), as well as 8 from uncomplicated pregnancies were analyzed using miRNA microarrays. For statistical analyses the MATLAB® simulation environment was applied. The over-expression of miR-518a-5p was verified using Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: Overall, 44 miRNAs were found deregulateddysregulated in PE complicated placentas. Statistical analysis revealed that miR-431, miR-518a-5p and miR-124* were over-expressed in EOPE complicated placentas as compared to controls whereas miR-544 and miR-3942 were down-regulated in EOPE. When comparing the miRNA expression profile in cases with PE and PE- growth restricted fetuses (FGR), miR-431 and miR-518a-5p were found over-expressed in pregnancies complicated by FGR. Additionally, up- regulation of miR-124, miR-423-3p and miR-518a-5p was associated with proteinuria. Discussion: Specific miRNAs can differentiate EOPE and LOPE from uncomplicated pregnancies representing putative PE-specific diagnostic biomarkers. Among them, miR-518a-5p emerged as a potential diagnostic indicator for EOPE cases as well as for FGR and proteinuria associated PE complicated placentas designating its potential link to the severity of the disease. Placental samples were collected from 16 women with PE (n=11 with Early Onset Pre-Eclampsia (EOPE) and n=5 diagnosed with Late Onset Pre-Eclampsia (LOPE)) and from 8 with uncomplicated term pregnancies at the time of cesarean section in the 3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. A total of 24 samples has been processed and examined.