title: Evaluation of a panel of circulating DNA, RNA and protein potential markers for pathologies of pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among markers of pregnancy complications, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA, long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) protein and fetal and total DNA had been reported to be increased in the plasma of women with overt preeclampsia (PE). We developed an optimized protocol to evaluate whether concentrations of CRH mRNA, PTX3 mRNA and protein, fetal and/or total DNA are increased in fetal growth restriction (FGR), and whether they predict complications of pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The protocol included a preamplification step to enrich rare mRNA species. CRH and PTX3 mRNA, DNA and PTX3 protein were measured in the plasma of women with PE or FGR, in women at risk of developing these pathologies and in healthy women matched for gestational age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRH mRNA, fetal and/or total DNA and PTX3 protein were significantly increased in women with overt PE when compared to controls. Pregnant women who later developed PE or FGR during pregnancy showed total DNA levels that were significantly increased before the onset of both pathologies, while RNA markers were increased only in women who later developed PE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our protocol for plasma RNA quantification may allow for the extension of a panel of predictive markers to be investigated in larger patient cohorts.
authors.affiliation: Genomic Unit for the Diagnosis of Human Pathologies, Center for Genomics, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galbiati
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Causarano
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinzani
authors.forename: Salvianti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francesca
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smid
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasi
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Castiglioni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavoretto
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rovere-Querini
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pedroni
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cremonesi
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000235:genetics; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000235:genetics; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004247:DNA; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins