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Nguyen-Thanh T, Nguyen-Vu PT, Le-Thi QA, Phan-Thi TN, Ha TMT. Association between Maternal and Fetal Genetic Variants and Preeclampsia: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:8282-8300. [PMID: 39194706 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46080489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between maternal and fetal genetic variants and the risk of preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related condition that affects women. Despite the unclear role of these genetic factors in the development of preeclampsia, this analysis aimed to provide insights into the potential contributing factors. An electronic search of online databases was conducted to identify relevant studies. Stata SE software was used for the meta-analysis. A random-effects model was used to establish the association between the genetic variants and preeclampsia risk. Egger's test was utilized to evaluate publication bias. Ten observational studies were selected from databases that met the inclusion criteria and included seven genes and twenty polymorphisms to analyze preeclampsia susceptibility influenced by the genetic background of both the mother and fetus. Our meta-analysis revealed that both the maternal and fetal polymorphisms, FLT1 rs4769613, were significantly associated with the risk of preeclampsia. However, the association between the maternal ACE rs4646994 polymorphism and preeclampsia risk was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, a significant association was observed between the fetal ACE rs4646994 polymorphism and preeclampsia in a dominant genetic model. In this study, the associations between maternal and fetal polymorphisms in ERAP2, VEGF, VDR, REN, and MMP were not statistically significant. According to the available evidence, maternal and fetal polymorphisms can impact the likelihood of developing preeclampsia. Additional research is required to fully understand the underlying mechanisms connecting maternal and fetal polymorphisms to preeclampsia, and to formulate recommendations for screening pregnant women based on these genetic variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Nguyen-Thanh
- Regenerative Medicine Core Research Group, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, 6 Ngo Quyen Street, Hue 49000, Vietnam
| | - Phuong-Thao Nguyen-Vu
- Regenerative Medicine Core Research Group, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, 6 Ngo Quyen Street, Hue 49000, Vietnam
| | - Quy-Anh Le-Thi
- Regenerative Medicine Core Research Group, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, 6 Ngo Quyen Street, Hue 49000, Vietnam
| | | | - Thi-Minh-Thi Ha
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, 6 Ngo Quyen Street, Hue 49000, Vietnam
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue 49000, Vietnam
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Dieckmann L, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Cruceanu C, Räikkönen K, Binder EB, Czamara D. Quantitative trait locus mapping in placenta: A comparative study of chorionic villus and birth placenta. HGG ADVANCES 2024; 5:100326. [PMID: 38993113 PMCID: PMC11365441 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The placenta, a pivotal player in the prenatal environment, holds crucial insights into early developmental pathways and future health outcomes. In this study, we explored genetic molecular regulation in chorionic villus samples (CVS) from the first trimester and placenta tissue at birth. We assessed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping on DNA methylation and gene expression data in a Finnish cohort of 574 individuals. We found more QTLs in birth placenta than in first-trimester placenta. Nevertheless, a substantial amount of associations overlapped in their effects and showed consistent direction in both tissues, with increasing molecular genetic effects from early pregnancy to birth placenta. The identified QTLs in birth placenta were most enriched in genes with placenta-specific expression. Conducting a phenome-wide-association study (PheWAS) on the associated SNPs, we observed numerous overlaps with genome-wide association study (GWAS) hits (spanning 57 distinct traits and 23 SNPs), with notable enrichments for immunological, skeletal, and respiratory traits. The QTL-SNP rs1737028 (chr6:29737993) presented with the highest number of GWAS hits. This SNP was related to HLA-G expression via DNA methylation and was associated with various immune, respiratory, and psychiatric traits. Our findings implicate increasing genetic molecular regulation during the course of pregnancy and support the involvement of placenta gene regulation, particularly in immunological traits. This study presents a framework for understanding placenta-specific gene regulation during pregnancy and its connection to health-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Dieckmann
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland; Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK
| | - Cristiana Cruceanu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
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Xie N, Wang F, Chen D, Zhou J, Xu J, Qu F. Immune dysfunction mediated by the competitive endogenous RNA network in fetal side placental tissue of polycystic ovary syndrome. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300461. [PMID: 38512862 PMCID: PMC10956758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women in their reproductive years. Emerging evidence suggests that the maternal-fetal immune system is crucial for proper pregnancy. However, whether immune function is altered at the end of pregnancy in PCOS women and the underlying molecular mechanisms is currently unexplored. Herein, the basic maternal immune system was investigated (n = 136 in the control group; n = 103 in the PCOS group), and whole-transcriptome sequencing was carried out to quantify the mRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs expression levels in fetal side placental tissue of women with PCOS. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analysis were employed for functional enrichment analysis. The process of identifying hub genes was conducted utilizing the protein-protein interaction network. CIBERSORT and Connectivity Map were deployed to determine immune cell infiltration and predict potential drugs, respectively. A network of mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA was constructed and then validated by qRT-PCR. First, red blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin were significantly elevated, while placental growth factor was hindered in PCOS women. We identified 308 DEmRNAs, 77 DEmiRNAs, and 332 DElncRNAs in PCOS samples. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that there were significant changes observed in terms of the immune system, especially the chemokine pathway. Eight genes, including FOS, JUN, EGR1, CXCL10, CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCL11, and CXCL8, were considered as hub genes. Furthermore, the degree of infiltration of neutrophils was dramatically decreased in PCOS tissues. In total, 57 ceRNA events were finally obtained, and immune-related ceRNA networks were validated. Some potential drug candidates, such as enalapril and RS-100329, could have a function in PCOS therapy. This study represents the inaugural attempt to evaluate the immune system at the end of pregnancy and placental ceRNA networks in PCOS, indicating alterations in the chemokine pathway, which may impact fetal and placental growth, and provides new therapy targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Xie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fangfang Wang
- Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Danqing Chen
- Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jue Zhou
- College of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fan Qu
- Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Apicella C, Ruano CSM, Thilaganathan B, Khalil A, Giorgione V, Gascoin G, Marcellin L, Gaspar C, Jacques S, Murdoch CE, Miralles F, Méhats C, Vaiman D. Pan-Genomic Regulation of Gene Expression in Normal and Pathological Human Placentas. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040578. [PMID: 36831244 PMCID: PMC9954093 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we attempted to find genetic variants affecting gene expression (eQTL = expression Quantitative Trait Loci) in the human placenta in normal and pathological situations. The analysis of gene expression in placental diseases (Pre-eclampsia and Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction) is hindered by the fact that diseased placental tissue samples are generally taken at earlier gestations compared to control samples. The difference in gestational age is considered a major confounding factor in the transcriptome regulation of the placenta. To alleviate this significant problem, we propose here a novel approach to pinpoint disease-specific cis-eQTLs. By statistical correction for gestational age at sampling as well as other confounding/surrogate variables systematically searched and identified, we found 43 e-genes for which proximal SNPs influence expression level. Then, we performed the analysis again, removing the disease status from the covariates, and we identified 54 e-genes, 16 of which are identified de novo and, thus, possibly related to placental disease. We found a highly significant overlap with previous studies for the list of 43 e-genes, validating our methodology and findings. Among the 16 disease-specific e-genes, several are intrinsic to trophoblast biology and, therefore, constitute novel targets of interest to better characterize placental pathology and its varied clinical consequences. The approach that we used may also be applied to the study of other human diseases where confounding factors have hampered a better understanding of the pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Apicella
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Camino S. M. Ruano
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Basky Thilaganathan
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London SW17 0RE, UK
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Asma Khalil
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London SW17 0RE, UK
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Veronica Giorgione
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London SW17 0RE, UK
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Géraldine Gascoin
- Department of Neonatology, Angers University Hospital, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Louis Marcellin
- Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Cochin Faculté de Médecine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre (HUPC), Université de Paris, 138 Boulevard de Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Cassandra Gaspar
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, UMS Production et Analyse des données en Sciences de la vie et en Santé, PASS, Plateforme Post-génomique de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Jacques
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Colin E. Murdoch
- Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Francisco Miralles
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Céline Méhats
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Team ‘From Gametes to Birth’, Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR 8104 CNRS, Paris-Descartes University, 75014 Paris, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-44412301; Fax: +33-1-44412302
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O'Hare CB, Mangin-Heimos KS, Gu H, Edmunds M, Bebbington M, Lee CK, He M, Ortinau CM. Placental delayed villous maturation is associated with fetal congenital heart disease. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023; 228:231.e1-231.e11. [PMID: 35985515 PMCID: PMC10436378 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The placenta is crucial for the overall development and lifelong health of the fetus. Abnormal placental development and function occur in pregnancies with fetal congenital heart disease. However, studies that use standardized diagnostic criteria and incorporate control populations are lacking. This limits the generalizability of current research and the ability to determine the specific placental abnormalities associated with congenital heart disease. OBJECTIVE This study applied consensus statement guidelines (known as the Amsterdam criteria) for placental pathology interpretation to compare the frequency and pattern of abnormalities in pregnancies with fetal congenital heart disease to demographically matched control pregnancies and evaluate for differences in placental abnormalities by cardiac physiology. STUDY DESIGN A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2013 to June 2019. Infants with a prenatal diagnosis of moderate-severe congenital heart disease who were born at ≥37 weeks of gestation were included. A control group born at ≥37 weeks of gestation but without fetal congenital heart disease or other major pregnancy complications was matched to the congenital heart disease group on maternal race and ethnicity and infant sex. Using the Amsterdam criteria, placental pathology findings were categorized as delayed villous maturation, maternal vascular malperfusion, fetal vascular malperfusion, and inflammatory lesions. The frequency of placental abnormalities was compared between groups, and logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association of clinical and sociodemographic factors with delayed villous maturation, maternal vascular malperfusion, and fetal vascular malperfusion. RESULTS There were 194 pregnancies with fetal congenital heart disease and 105 controls included, of whom 83% in the congenital heart disease group and 82% in the control group were of non-Hispanic White race and ethnicity. Compared with controls, pregnancies with fetal congenital heart disease had higher rates of delayed villous maturation (6% vs 19%; P<.001) and maternal vascular malperfusion (19% vs 34%; P=.007) but not fetal vascular malperfusion (6% vs 10%; P=.23). Infants with congenital heart disease with 2-ventricle anatomy displayed the highest odds of delayed villous maturation compared with controls (odds ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-15.7; P<.01). Maternal vascular malperfusion was 2.2 times higher (P=.02) for infants with 2-ventricle anatomy and 2.9 times higher (P=.02) for infants with single-ventricle physiology with pulmonic obstruction. Within the congenital heart disease group, delayed villous maturation was associated with higher maternal body mass index, polyhydramnios, larger infant birth head circumference, and infant respiratory support in the delivery room, whereas maternal vascular malperfusion was associated with oligohydramnios. In multivariable models adjusting for cardiac diagnosis, associations of delayed villous maturation persisted for infant birth head circumference (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.5; P=.02) and infant respiratory support in the delivery room (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-6.5; P=.007). CONCLUSION Pregnancies with fetal congenital heart disease displayed higher rates of delayed villous maturation and maternal vascular malperfusion than controls, suggesting that placental maldevelopment may relate to maternal factors. Future investigations are needed to determine the association of these abnormalities with postnatal infant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare B O'Hare
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.
| | - Kathryn S Mangin-Heimos
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Hongjie Gu
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Michael Bebbington
- Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
| | - Caroline K Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Mai He
- Department of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Cynthia M Ortinau
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
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Salmeri N, Carbone IF, Cavoretto PI, Farina A, Morano D. Epigenetics Beyond Fetal Growth Restriction: A Comprehensive Overview. Mol Diagn Ther 2022; 26:607-626. [PMID: 36028645 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-022-00611-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction is a pathological condition occurring when the fetus does not reach the genetically determined growth potential. The etiology of fetal growth restriction is expected to be multifactorial and include fetal, maternal, and placental factors, the latter being the most frequent cause of isolated fetal growth restriction. Severe fetal growth restriction has been related to both an increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality, and also a greater susceptibility to developing diseases (especially cardio-metabolic and neurological disorders) later in life. In the last decade, emerging evidence has supported the hypothesis of the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease, which states that individual developmental 'programming' takes place via a delicate fine tuning of fetal genetic and epigenetic marks in response to a large variety of 'stressor' exposures during pregnancy. As the placenta is the maternal-fetal interface, it has a crucial role in fetal programming, such that any perturbation altering placental function interferes with both in-utero fetal growth and also with the adult life phenotype. Several epigenetic mechanisms have been highlighted in modulating the dynamic placental epigenome, including alterations in DNA methylation status, post-translational modification of histones, and non-coding RNAs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of the available literature on the epigenetic background of fetal growth restriction. A targeted research strategy was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and The Cochrane Library up to January 2022. A detailed and fully referenced synthesis of available literature following the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles guidelines is provided. A variety of epigenetic marks predominantly interfering with placental development, function, and metabolism were found to be potentially associated with fetal growth restriction. Available evidence on the role of environmental exposures in shaping the placental epigenome and the fetal phenotype were also critically discussed. Because of the highly dynamic crosstalk between epigenetic mechanisms and the extra level of complexity in interpreting the final placental transcriptome, a full comprehension of these phenomenon is still lacking and advances in multi-omics approaches are urgently needed. Elucidating the role of epigenetics in the developmental origins of health and disease represents a new challenge for the coming years, with the goal of providing early interventions and prevention strategies and, hopefully, new treatment opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Salmeri
- Gynecology/Obstetrics Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilma Floriana Carbone
- Unit of Obstetrics, Department of Woman, Child and Neonate, Mangiagalli Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ivo Cavoretto
- Gynecology/Obstetrics Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Farina
- Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery (DIMEC), IRCCS Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, 40138, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Danila Morano
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Anna, University of Ferrara, Cona, Ferrara, Italy
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Wang Y, Tang Y, Yang X, Xu J, Chen Y, Xu J, Hu S, Yi P. Immune Dysfunction Mediated by the ceRNA Regulatory Network in Human Placenta Tissue of Intrahepatic Cholestasis Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:883971. [PMID: 35812382 PMCID: PMC9263217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.883971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy-related intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) is a serious complication with adverse perinatal outcomes of preterm labor, fetal distress, or stillbirth. As a result, it is important to investigate and identify the potential critical pathogenic mechanisms of ICP. First, we collected the placental tissues from the ICP with placental weight and fetal birth weight loss for the whole transcriptome sequencing. Then we analyzed the differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) by SRPBM, DElncRNAs by FRKM, DEmiRNAs by TPM, and DEmRNAs by TPM and RSEM. Based on differential expression of term pregnancy placental tissues from pregnancies impacted by ICP (n=7) as compared to gestational aged matched control tissues (n=5), the circ/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks were constructed. The ceRNA regulatory networks covered 3,714 events, including 21 DEmiRNAs, 36 DEcircRNAs, 146 DElncRNAs, and 169 DEmRNAs. According to the functional analysis, ICP complications were linked to the immune system, signal transduction, endocrine system, cell growth and death, and transport and catabolism. Further evidence suggested that the expression of immune-related genes KLRD1, BRAF, and NFATC4 might have a potential ceRNA mechanism by individual lncRNA sponging miR372-3p, miR-371a-3p, miR-7851-3p, and miR-449a to control downstream the level of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-10, thereby regulating the pathophysiology of ICP. Furthermore, our results were validated by the qRT-PCR, western blotting and ELISA assays. In conclusion, this study is the first to evaluate placental ceRNA networks in pregnancies affected by ICP, showing alterations in immune regulatory networks which may impact fetal and placental growth. Overall our these data suggest that the ceRNA regulatory network may refine biomarker predictions for developing novel therapeutic approaches in ICP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jing Xu
- *Correspondence: Ping Yi, ; Shan Hu, ; Jing Xu,
| | - Shan Hu
- *Correspondence: Ping Yi, ; Shan Hu, ; Jing Xu,
| | - Ping Yi
- *Correspondence: Ping Yi, ; Shan Hu, ; Jing Xu,
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Inno R, Kikas T, Lillepea K, Laan M. Coordinated Expressional Landscape of the Human Placental miRNome and Transcriptome. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:697947. [PMID: 34368147 PMCID: PMC8334369 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.697947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Placenta is a unique organ that serves its own function, and contributes to maternal gestational adaptation and fetal development. Coordination of its transcriptome to satisfy all the maternal-fetal needs across gestation is not fully understood. MicroRNAs are powerful transcriptome modulators capable to adjust rapidly the expression level and dynamics of large gene sets. This MiR-Seq based study presents a multi-omics investigation of the human placental miRNome and its synergy with the transcriptome. The analysis included 52 placentas representing three trimesters of normal pregnancy, and term cases of late-onset preeclampsia (LO-PE), gestational diabetes and affected fetal growth. Gestational-age dependent differential expression (FDR < 0.05) was detected for 319 of 417 tested miRNAs (76.5%). A shared list of target genes of dynamic miRNAs suggested their coordinated action. The most abundant miR-143-3p revealed as a marker for pregnancy progression. The data suggested critical, but distinct roles of placenta-specific imprinted C19MC and C14MC miRNA clusters. Paternally encoded primate-specific C19MC was highly transcribed during first trimester, potentially fine-tuning the early placental transcriptome in dosage-sensitive manner. Maternally encoded eutherian C14MC showed high expression until term, underlining its key contribution across gestation. A major shift in placental miRNome (16% miRNAs) was observed in LO-PE, but not in other term pregnancy complications. Notably, 13/38 upregulated miRNAs were transcribed from C19MC and only one from C14MC, whereas 11/28 downregulated miRNAs represented C14MC and none C19MC. miR-210-3p, miR-512-5p, miR-32-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-590-3p, miR-379-5p were differentially expressed in LO-PE and cases of small-for-gestational-age newborns, supporting a shared etiology. Expression correlation analysis with the RNA-Seq data (16,567 genes) of the same samples clustered PE-linked miRNAs into five groups. Large notable clusters of miRNA–gene pairs showing directly and inversely correlated expression dynamics suggested potential functional relationships in both scenarios. The first genome-wide study of placental miR-eQTLs identified 66 placental SNVs associated with the expression of neighboring miRNAs, including PE-linked miRNAs miR-30a-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-490-3p and miR-518-5p. This study provided a rich catalog of miRNAs for further in-depth investigations of their individual and joint effect on placental transcriptome. Several highlighted miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for pregnancy monitoring and targets to prevent or treat gestational disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rain Inno
- Human Genetics Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Triin Kikas
- Human Genetics Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kristiina Lillepea
- Human Genetics Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Maris Laan
- Human Genetics Research Group, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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