Elevated Expression of miR-296 in Human Placentas and Serum Samples From Pregnancies With Preeclampsia

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by widespread maternal endothelial dysfunction. Although clinical signs subside following delivery, long-term risks associated with PE include hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of biological function, and while alterations to the miRNAs have been described in the context of pregnancy and PE, the postpartum implications of PE on miRNA expression are unknown. In the present study, we aimed to determine the clinical performance of miR-296 in PE. Methods: First, the clinical information and outcomes of all the participants were collected and analyzed. Afterward, the miR-296 expressions in the serum samples from healthy pregnant women and women with PE at different periods were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, the receive operation characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the diagnostic value of miR-296 in PE. Finally, the at-term placentals were collected, the expressions of miR-296 in different groups were compared at first blood collection and at delivery. Results: In this study, we found that miR-296 expression was significantly increased in the placenta samples from PE patients compared with that in healthy controls both in early onset group (EOPE, p < 0.01) and late onset group (LOPE, p < 0.01). Furthermore, results of ROC analysis showed miR-296 might be a putative biomarker for early onset preeclampsia and late onset preeclampsia diagnosis with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.75–0.92) and 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.77–0.93). Last but not the least, the expressions of miR-296 were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in serum samples of EOPE and LOPE patients (p < 0.001), and serum and placental levels of the miR-296 was positively correlated for EOPE (r = 0.5574, p < 0.001) and LOPE (r = 0.6613, p < 0.001) patients, respectively. Meanwhile, compared with those at first blood collection, the expression of miR-296 in EOPE (p = 0.05) and LOPE (p = 0.01) were significantly decreased at delivery. Conclusion: miR-296 may function as a putative diagnostic biomarker for PE and contribute to identifying at-risk mothers in pregnancy.