title: MiR-942 decreased before 20 weeks gestation in women with preeclampsia and was associated with the pathophysiology of preeclampsia in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible relationship between miR-942 levels and the pathogenesis of preeclampsia using in vitro assays and to investigate circulating miR-942 levels in the early phase of mid-of pregnancy in women who later developed preeclampsia and in women with uncomplicated pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma samples were collected from pregnant women between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation. MiR-942 levels were determined by stem-loop real-time PCR for 26 cases who subsequently developed preeclampsia as well as for 52 controls. Bioinformatics software was used to predict the target genes of miR-942, and a dual-luciferase reporter system was utilized to validate target gene regulation. Finally, MTT proliferation assays, transwell invasion assays, and endothelial cell tube formation assays were performed to further explore the function of miR-942 using a human extravillous trophoblast cell line (TEV-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating miR-942 levels were significantly lower in mid-pregnancy (12-20 weeks gestation) in women who later developed preeclampsia compared with those with an uncomplicated pregnancy (p < 0.05). Endoglin (ENG) is an miR-942 target gene. MiR-942 had a sensitivity of 0.673, a specificity of 0.875, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.718 [95% CI, 0.594-0.822] for the possible screening of preeclampsia. In vitro, decreased miR-942 expression decreased the invasive ability of TEV-1 cells, and inhibited the HUVEC angiogenesis assay, both effects that are similar to what is observed in preeclampsia (both p <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-942 may be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia via the regulation of its target gene ENG. Multicenter studies must be performed and a greater number of samples must be analyzed to ascertain whether circulating miR-942 levels can serve as a novel early diagnostic marker for preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Central Hospital of Longhua New District , Shenzhen , China.
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Central Hospital of Longhua New District , Shenzhen , China.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Central Hospital of Longhua New District , Shenzhen , China.
authors.forename: Yipeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Laboratory , Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Hongling
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Laboratory , Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Laboratory , Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , China.
authors.forename: Qihua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: c Department of Clinical Laboratory , Xiangzhou District People's Hospital , Zhuhai , China.
authors.forename: Zaoxiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics*; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012372:ROC Curve; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000071063:Endoglin; C000594372:MIRN942 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Endoglin; early diagnosis; miR-942; plasma marker; preeclampsia