title: Association between exposure to dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls and miR-191 expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Accumulating evidence shows an association between deregulation of miRNAs and exposure to environmental chemicals; miRNAs play a unique regulatory role in gene expression. Among environmental pollutants, dioxins are a family of compounds that are known to have multiple hazardous effects. Also, in utero exposure of the fetus to dioxins has been shown to cause impaired psychomotor development, decreased immune function and skin disease. miR-191 is a microRNA that has been found to be up-regulated by dioxin in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Our study provides the first molecular evidence in vivo of a positive relationship between levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and miR-191 expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. miR-191 expression was significantly correlated with blood concentrations of total PCB and, in particular, of 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 169, a coplanar congener). Blood concentrations of PCB 169 correlated significantly with miR-191 expression in pregnant women living in a PCB-polluted area, who underwent therapeutic abortion due to fetal malformations. These data suggest that miRNAs could be potential biomarkers to clarify the mechanisms of environmental disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Marialuisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trifuoggi
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biffali
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borra
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Mieri
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Felice
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology; D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007558:Italy; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; C546177:MIRN191 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C027309:3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl