title: Blood pressure and expression of microRNAs in whole blood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood pressure (BP) is a complex, multifactorial clinical outcome driven by genetic susceptibility, behavioral choices, and environmental factors. Many molecular mechanisms have been proposed for the pathophysiology of high BP even as its prevalence continues to grow worldwide, increasing morbidity and marking it as a major public health concern. To address this, we evaluated miRNA profiling in blood leukocytes as potential biomarkers of BP and BP-related risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Beijing Truck Driver Air Pollution Study included 60 truck drivers and 60 office workers examined in 2008. On two days separated by 1-2 weeks, we examined three BP measures: systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure measured at both pre- and post-work exams for blood NanoString nCounter miRNA profiles. We used covariate-adjusted linear mixed-effect models to examine associations between BP and increased miRNA expression in both pooled and risk factor-stratified analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 43 miRNAs were associated with pre-work BP (FDR<0.05). In stratified analyses different but overlapping groups of miRNAs were associated with pre-work BP in truck drivers, high-BMI participants, and usual alcohol drinkers (FDR<0.05). Only four miRNAs were associated with post-work BP (FDR<0.05), in ever smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that many miRNAs were significantly associated with BP in subgroups exposed to known hypertension risk factors. These findings shed light on the underlying molecular mechanisms of BP, and may assist with the development of a miRNA panel for early detection of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Division of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brian Thomas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-6161
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Division of Epidemiology/Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jacob K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kresovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yinan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety Engineering, China Institute of Industrial Relations, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McCracken
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: Anaité
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan and IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.|Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, CDMX, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shurui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan and IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Alberto
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bertazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrea A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Baccarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America.|Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000068476:Beijing; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D035683:MicroRNAs