title: Plasma microRNAs expression profile in female workers occupationally exposed to mercury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted interests as non-invasive biomarkers of physiological and pathological conditions. Several studies have examined the potential effects of mercury exposure on miRNAs expression profiles of general population environmentally exposed to mercury. The objective is to identify mercury-related miRNAs of female workers occupationally exposed to mercury.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, we used a microarray assay to detect the miRNA expression profiles in pooled plasma samples between (I) chronic mercury poisoning group; (II) mercury absorbing group and (III) control group in the discovery stage. Each group has ten individuals. In addition, we conducted a validation of eight candidate miRNAs in the same 30 workers by quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the discovery stage, eight miRNAs were conformed following our selection criteria. In the validation stage, RT-PCR confirmed up-regulation of miR-92a and miR-486 in the mercury poisoned group (P<0.05) compared to the other two groups. The results were consistent with the microarray analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma miR-92a-3p and miR-486-5p might prove to be potential biomarkers to indicate responses to mercury exposure. However, further studies are necessary to prove the causal association between miRNAs changes and mercury exposure, and to determine whether these two miRNAs are clear biomarkers to mercury exposure.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Enmin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Qiuni
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Qingdong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Bosheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Xianping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China ; 2 Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanjing 210009, China ; 3 School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Baoli
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
keywords: MicroRNA (miRNA); mercury (Hg); plasma