title: Decreased placental miR-126 expression and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect microRNA (miR)-126 expression and its correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in placentas from patients with pre-eclampsia compared with those from normotensive pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  miR-126 expression, and VEGF mRNA and protein levels, in placentas collected sequentially from patients with pre-eclampsia and normotensive pregnancies were measured using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The relationship between miR-126 and VEGF expression was analysed statistically. The regulatory effect of miR-126 on VEGF expression in human placental choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells in vitro was also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-126 expression was decreased, and VEGF mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower, in placentas from patients with pre-eclampsia (n = 115) compared with placentas from normotensive pregnancies (n = 115). A positive correlation was found between VEGF mRNA and miR-126 expression (r = 0.79). In addition, miR-126 overexpression significantly upregulated VEGF expression in BeWo cells, whereas miR-126 downregulation decreased VEGF expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-126 was downregulated in placentas from patients with pre-eclampsia and this correlated with decreased VEGF expression. These findings indicate that miRNA-126 may be involved in pre-eclampsia pathogenesis and could be a potential biomarker for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China dochongfz@163.com.
authors.forename: Fanzhen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yuyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yongping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C527111:MIRN126 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Pre-eclampsia; miR-126; real time RT–PCR; vascular endothelial growth factor