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Svigkou A, Katsi V, Kordalis VG, Tsioufis K. The Molecular Basis of the Augmented Cardiovascular Risk in Offspring of Mothers with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5455. [PMID: 38791492 PMCID: PMC11121482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The review examines the impact of maternal preeclampsia (PE) on the cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health of offspring. PE, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is responsible for 2 to 8% of pregnancy-related complications. It significantly contributes to adverse outcomes for their infants, affecting the time of birth, the birth weight, and cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity, lipid profiles, glucose, and insulin. Exposure to PE in utero predisposes offspring to an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) through mechanisms that are not fully understood. The incidence of CMD and CVD is constantly increasing, whereas CVD is the main cause of morbidity and mortality globally. A complex interplay of genes, environment, and developmental programming is a plausible explanation for the development of endothelial dysfunction, which leads to atherosclerosis and CVD. The underlying molecular mechanisms are angiogenic imbalance, inflammation, alterations in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), endothelium-derived components, serotonin dysregulation, oxidative stress, and activation of both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Moreover, the potential role of epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation and microRNAs as mediators of these effects is emphasized, suggesting avenues for future research and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasiliki Katsi
- Cardiology Department, School of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece;
| | - Vasilios G. Kordalis
- School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Tsioufis
- Cardiology Department, School of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece;
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Shan Y, Hou B, Wang J, Chen A, Liu S. Exploring the role of exosomal MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers in preeclampsia. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385950. [PMID: 38566996 PMCID: PMC10985148 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE), a significant contributor to maternal and neonatal mortality globally, is poorly understood despite substantial research. This review explores the involvement of exosomal microRNAs (exomiRs) in PE, focusing on their impact on the protein kinase B (AKT)/hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway as well as endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Specifically, this article amalgamates existing evidence to reveal the pivotal role of exomiRs in regulating mesenchymal stem cell and trophoblast function, placental angiogenesis, the renin-angiotensin system, and nitric oxide production, which may contribute to PE etiology. This review emphasizes the limited knowledge regarding the role of exomiRs in PE while underscoring the potential of exomiRs as non-invasive biomarkers for PE diagnosis, prediction, and treatment. Further, it provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of PE, highlighting exomiRs as key players with clinical implications, warranting further exploration to enhance the current understanding and the development of novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Shan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bo Hou
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jingli Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Aiping Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shiguo Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Fernández-Boyano I, Inkster AM, Yuan V, Robinson WP. eoPred: predicting the placental phenotype of early-onset preeclampsia using public DNA methylation data. Front Genet 2023; 14:1248088. [PMID: 37736302 PMCID: PMC10509376 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1248088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: A growing body of literature has reported molecular and histological changes in the human placenta in association with preeclampsia (PE). Placental DNA methylation (DNAme) and transcriptomic patterns have revealed molecular subgroups of PE that are associated with placental histopathology and clinical phenotypes of the disease. However, the clinical and molecular heterogeneity of PE both across and within subtypes complicates the study of this disease. PE is most strongly associated with placental pathology and adverse fetal and maternal outcomes when it develops early in pregnancy. We focused on placentae from pregnancies affected by preeclampsia that were delivered before 34 weeks of gestation to develop eoPred, a predictor of the DNAme signature associated with the placental phenotype of early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE). Results: Public data from 83 placental samples (HM450K), consisting of 42 EOPE and 41 normotensive preterm birth (nPTB) cases, was used to develop eoPred-a supervised model that relies on a highly discriminative 45 CpG DNAme signature of EOPE in the placenta. The performance of eoPred was assessed using cross-validation (AUC = 0.95) and tested in an independent validation cohort (n = 49, AUC = 0.725). A subset of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and late-PE cases showed a similar DNAme profile at the 45 predictive CpGs, consistent with the overlap in placental pathology between these conditions. The relationship between the EOPE probability generated by eoPred and various phenotypic variables was also assessed, revealing that it is associated with gestational age, and it is not driven by cell composition differences. Conclusion: eoPred relies on a 45-CpG DNAme signature to predict a homogeneous placental phenotype of EOPE in a discrete or continuous manner. Using this classifier should 1) aid in the study of placental insufficiency and improve the consistency of future placental DNAme studies of PE, 2) facilitate identifying the placental phenotype of EOPE in public data sets and 3) importantly, standardize the placental diagnosis of EOPE to allow better cross-cohort comparisons. Lastly, classification of cases with eoPred will be useful for investigating the relationship between placental pathology and genetic or environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. Fernández-Boyano
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A. M. Inkster
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - V. Yuan
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - W. P. Robinson
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR), Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Zheng X, Lian Y, Zhou J, Zhou Q, Zhu Y, Tang C, Zhang P, Zhao X. Placental ischemia disrupts DNA methylation patterns in distal regulatory regions in rats. Life Sci 2023; 321:121623. [PMID: 37001402 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the impact of PE on the organization of the functional architecture of the placental methylome remains largely unknown. We performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of placental DNA and applied a Hidden Markov Model to investigate epigenome-wide alterations in functional structures, including partially methylated domains (PMDs), low-methylated regions (LMRs), and unmethylated regions (UMRs), in a reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model of PE. The remarkable similarity we observed between the rat and human placental DNA methylomes suggests that the RUPP rat model is appropriate to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms underlying human PE. The notable changes in PMDs indicate RUPP-induced perturbation of the stressed placental methylome. This was probably regulated via modulation of the epigenetic modifier expression, including significant downregulation of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a and upregulation of Tet2. More importantly, changes in RUPP-induced DNA methylation occurred predominately in LMRs (80 %), which represent active enhancers, rather than in canonical UMRs (3 %), which represent promoters, suggesting that placental ischemia disrupts enhancer DNA methylation. Our findings emphasize the role of enhancer methylation in response to PE, corroborating discoveries in human PE studies. We suggest paying more attention to enhancer regions in future studies on PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguo Zheng
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yahan Lian
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Qian Zhou
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhu
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
| | - Chunhua Tang
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ping Zhang
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xinzhi Zhao
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.
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Zheng X, Wu W, Zhou Q, Lian Y, Xiang Y, Zhao X. Targeted bisulfite resequencing of differentially methylated cytosines in pre-eclampsia reveals a skewed dynamic balance in the DNA methylation of enhancers. Clin Sci (Lond) 2023; 137:265-279. [PMID: 36645190 DOI: 10.1042/cs20220644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a major hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Widespread differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) with modest changes in methylation level are associated with PE, whereas their cause and biological significance remain unknown. We aimed to clarify DNA methylation patterns around DMCs in 103 placentas using MethylCap targeted bisulfite re-sequencing (MethylCap-seq) assays of 690 selected DMCs. We verified the MethylCap-seq method, then validated 677 (98.1%) of DMCs (vDMCs) in an independent cohort. The validated DMCs were strongly enriched in active placenta-specific enhancers and showed highly dynamic methylation levels. We found high epigenetic heterogeneity between vDMCs and adjacent CpG sites (r2 < 0.2) and a significant decrease in PE in the discovery and replication cohorts (P = 2.00 × 10-24 and 6.43 × 10-9, respectively). We replicated the methylation changes in a hypoxia/reoxygenation cell model. We constructed 112 methylation haplotype blocks and found that the frequencies of unmethylated haplotypes (UMHs) were dynamic with gestational age (GA) and were altered in maternal plasma of patients with PE. Our results uncovered additional DNA methylation features in PE placentas and suggested a model of skewed DNA methylation balance of enhancers in PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguo Zheng
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Weibin Wu
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Yahan Lian
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqian Xiang
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinzhi Zhao
- International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, 200030, Shanghai, China
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Harville EW, Mishra PP, Kähönen M, Raitoharju E, Marttila S, Raitakari O, Lehtimäki T. Reproductive history and blood cell DNA methylation later in life: the Young Finns Study. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:227. [PMID: 34930449 PMCID: PMC8690999 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01215-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Women with a history of complications of pregnancy, including hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes or an infant fetal growth restriction or preterm birth, are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. We aimed to examine differences in maternal DNA methylation following pregnancy complications. Methods Data on women participating in the Young Finns study (n = 836) were linked to the national birth registry. DNA methylation in whole blood was assessed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip. Epigenome-wide analysis was conducted on differential CpG methylation at 850 K sites. Reproductive history was also modeled as a predictor of four epigenetic age indices. Results Fourteen significant differentially methylated sites were found associated with both history of pre-eclampsia and overall hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. No associations were found between reproductive history and any epigenetic age acceleration measure. Conclusions Differences in epigenetic methylation profiles could represent pre-existing risk factors, or changes that occurred as a result of experiencing these complications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01215-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily W Harville
- Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Pashupati P Mishra
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33521, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33521, Tampere, Finland
| | - Emma Raitoharju
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Saara Marttila
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Olli Raitakari
- Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33520, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33521, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
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Early Pregnancy Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution among Late-Onset Preeclamptic Cases Is Associated with Placental DNA Hypomethylation of Specific Genes and Slower Placental Maturation. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9120338. [PMID: 34941772 PMCID: PMC8708250 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9120338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE). Some suggested mechanisms behind this association are changes in placental DNA methylation and gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify how early pregnancy exposure to ambient nitrogen oxides (NOx) among PE cases and normotensive controls influence DNA methylation (EPIC array) and gene expression (RNA-seq). The study included placentas from 111 women (29 PE cases/82 controls) in Scania, Sweden. First-trimester NOx exposure was assessed at the participants’ residence using a dispersion model and categorized via median split into high or low NOx. Placental gestational epigenetic age was derived from the DNA methylation data. We identified six differentially methylated positions (DMPs, q < 0.05) comparing controls with low NOx vs. cases with high NOx and 14 DMPs comparing cases and controls with high NOx. Placentas with female fetuses showed more DMPs (N = 309) than male-derived placentas (N = 1). Placentas from PE cases with high NOx demonstrated gestational age deceleration compared to controls with low NOx (p = 0.034). No differentially expressed genes (DEGs, q < 0.05) were found. In conclusion, early pregnancy exposure to NOx affected placental DNA methylation in PE, resulting in placental immaturity and showing sexual dimorphism.
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8
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Epigenetic processes during preeclampsia and effects on fetal development and chronic health. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:2307-2327. [PMID: 34643675 DOI: 10.1042/cs20190070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE), the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, is associated with poor fetal growth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and low birth weight (LBW). Offspring of women who had PE are at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease later in life. However, the exact etiology of PE is unknown. Moreover, there are no effective interventions to treat PE or alleviate IUGR and the developmental origins of chronic disease in the offspring. The placenta is critical to fetal growth and development. Epigenetic regulatory processes such as histone modifications, microRNAs and DNA methylation play an important role in placental development including contributions to the regulation of trophoblast invasion and remodeling of the spiral arteries. Epigenetic processes that lead to changes in placental gene expression in PE mediate downstream effects that contribute to the development of placenta dysfunction, a critical mediator in the onset of PE, impaired fetal growth and IUGR. Therefore, this review will focus on epigenetic processes that contribute to the pathogenesis of PE and IUGR. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to normal placental development and the initiating events in PE may lead to novel therapeutic targets in PE that improve fetal growth and mitigate increased CV risk in the offspring.
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Almomani SN, Alsaleh AA, Weeks RJ, Chatterjee A, Day RC, Honda I, Homma H, Fukuzawa R, Slatter TL, Hung NA, Devenish C, Morison IM, Macaulay EC. Identification and validation of DNA methylation changes in pre-eclampsia. Placenta 2021; 110:16-23. [PMID: 34098319 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a dangerous placental condition that can lead to premature labour, seizures and death of mother and infant. Several studies have identified altered placental DNA methylation in PE; however, there is widespread inconsistency between studies and most findings have not been replicated. This study aimed to identify and validate consistent differences in methylation across multiple PE cohorts. METHODS Seven publicly available 450K methylation array datasets were analysed to identify consistent differentially methylated positions (DMPs) in PE. DMPs were identified based on methylation difference (≥10%) and significance (p-value ≤ 1 × 10-7). Targeted deep bisulfite sequencing was then performed to validate a subset of DMPs in an additional independent PE cohort. RESULTS Stringent analysis of the seven 450K datasets identified 25 DMPs (associated with 11 genes) in only one dataset. Using more relaxed criteria confirmed 19 of the stringent 25 DMPs in at least four of the remaining six datasets. Targeted deep bisulfite sequencing of eight DMPs (associated with three genes; CMIP, ST3GAL1 and DAPK3) in an independent PE cohort validated two DMPs in the CMIP gene. Seven additional CpG sites in CMIP were found to be significantly differentially methylated in PE. DISCUSSION The identification and validation of significant differential methylation in CMIP suggests that the altered DNA methylation of this gene may be associated with the pathogenesis of PE, and may have the potential to serve as diagnostic biomarkers for this dangerous condition of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzan N Almomani
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Abdulmonem A Alsaleh
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Robert J Weeks
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Robert C Day
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Izumi Honda
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center, 2-8-29 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8524, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Homma
- Department of Neonatology, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, 2-8-29 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8561, Japan
| | - Ryuji Fukuzawa
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Pathology, International University of Health and Welfare, School of Medicine, Narita, Japan
| | - Tania L Slatter
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Noelyn A Hung
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Celia Devenish
- Women's and Children's Health, Otago Medical School Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ian M Morison
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Erin C Macaulay
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Cruz JDO, Conceição IMCA, Tosatti JAG, Gomes KB, Luizon MR. Global DNA methylation in placental tissues from pregnant with preeclampsia: A systematic review and pathway analysis. Placenta 2020; 101:97-107. [PMID: 32942147 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is the major cause of fetal and maternal mortality and can be classified according to gestational age of onset into early-onset (EOPE, <34 weeks of gestation) and late- (LOPE, ≥34 weeks of gestation). DNA methylation (DNAm) may help to understand the abnormal placentation in PE. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to assess the role of global DNAm on pathophysiology of PE, focused on fetal and maternal tissues of placenta from pregnant with PE, including EOPE and LOPE. We searched the databases EMBASE, Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Lilacs, Scielo and Google Scholar, and followed the MOOSE guidelines. Moreover, we performed pathway analysis with the overlapping genes from the included studies. Twelve out of 24 included studies in the qualitative analysis considered the classification into EOPE and LOPE. We did not found heterogeneity in the criteria used for diagnosis of PE, and a few studies evaluated whether confounding factors would influence placental DNAm. Fourteen out of 24 included studies showed hypomethylation in placental tissue from pregnant with PE compared to controls. The differences in DNAm are specific to genes or differentially methylated regions, and more evident in EOPE and preterm PE compared to controls, rather than LOPE and term PE. The overlapping genes from included studies revealed pathways relevant to pathophysiology of PE. Our findings highlighted the heterogeneous results of the included studies, mainly focused on North America and China. Replication studies in different populations should use the same placental tissues, techniques to assess DNAm and pipelines for bioinformatic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana de O Cruz
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Izabela M C A Conceição
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Jéssica A G Tosatti
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyzes, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Karina B Gomes
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyzes, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Marcelo R Luizon
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil; Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil.
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11
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Lim JH, Kang YJ, Bak HJ, Kim MS, Lee HJ, Kwak DW, Han YJ, Kim MY, Boo H, Kim SY, Ryu HM. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling of preeclamptic placenta according to severe features. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:128. [PMID: 32831145 PMCID: PMC7444072 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Preeclampsia (PE) is an obstetric disorder with significant morbidities for both the mother and fetus possibly caused by a failure of the placental trophoblast invasion. However, its pathophysiology largely remains unclear. Here, we performed DNA methylation profiling to determine whether differential patterns of DNA methylation correlate with PE and severe features of PE. Materials and methods We extracted DNA from placental tissues of 13 normal, five PE, and eight PE pregnant women with severe features. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Illumina HumanMethylation 850K BeadChip. New functional annotations of differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) in PE were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Results Significant differences were evident for 398 DMCs, including 243 DMCs in PE and 155 DMCs in PE with severe features, compared with normal placental tissues. Of these, 12 hypermethylated DMCs and three hypomethylated DMCs were observed in both PE groups, thus were independent from severe features. Three hundred seventy-nine DMCs were identified by the presence or absence of severe features. Two hundred genes containing these DMCs were associated with developmental processes and cell morphogenesis. These genes were significantly associated with various PE complications such as disease susceptibility, viral infections, immune system diseases, endocrine disturbance, seizures, hematologic diseases, and thyroid diseases. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate the genome-scale DNA methylation profiles of PE placentas according to severe features. The epigenetic variation in the placentas probably resulted in altered developmental processes and immune dysregulation, contributing to PE. This study provides basic information to refine the clinical and pathological mechanisms of the severe features in placenta-mediated PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyae Lim
- Center for Prenatal Biomarker Research, CHA Advanced Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jung Kang
- Center for Prenatal Biomarker Research, CHA Advanced Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Bak
- Center for Prenatal Biomarker Research, CHA Advanced Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Sun Kim
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, 59, Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Lee
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, 59, Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Wook Kwak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - You Jung Han
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Young Kim
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeyeon Boo
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Ilsan Medical Center, CHA University, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin Young Kim
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Medical Research Institute, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Mee Ryu
- Center for Prenatal Biomarker Research, CHA Advanced Research Institute, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, 59, Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13496, Republic of Korea.
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12
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Cirkovic A, Garovic V, Milin Lazovic J, Milicevic O, Savic M, Rajovic N, Aleksic N, Weissgerber T, Stefanovic A, Stanisavljevic D, Milic N. Systematic review supports the role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia: a call for analytical and methodological standardization. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:36. [PMID: 32631423 PMCID: PMC7336649 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00313-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have recently examined the role of epigenetic mechanisms in preeclampsia pathophysiology. One commonly examined epigenetic process is DNA methylation. This heritable epigenetic marker is involved in many important cellular functions. The aim of this study was to establish the association between DNA methylation and preeclampsia and to critically appraise the roles of major study characteristics that can significantly impact the association between DNA methylation and preeclampsia. MAIN BODY A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE for original research articles published over time, until May 31, 2019 in English. Eligible studies compared DNA methylation levels in pregnant women with vs. without preeclampsia. Ninety articles were included. Epigenome-wide studies identified hundreds of differentially methylated places/regions in preeclamptic patients. Hypomethylation was the predominant finding in studies analyzing placental tissue (14/19), while hypermethylation was detected in three studies that analyzed maternal white blood cells (3/3). In candidate gene studies, methylation alterations for a number of genes were found to be associated with preeclampsia. A greater number of differentially methylated genes was found when analyzing more severe preeclampsia (70/82), compared to studies analyzing less severe preeclampsia vs. controls (13/27). A high degree of heterogeneity existed among the studies in terms of methodological study characteristics including design (study design, definition of preeclampsia, control group, sample size, confounders), implementation (biological sample, DNA methylation method, purification of DNA extraction, and validation of methylation), analysis (analytical method, batch effect, genotyping, and gene expression), and data presentation (methylation quantification measure, measure of variability, reporting). Based on the results of this review, we provide recommendations for study design and analytical approach for further studies. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this review support the role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Establishing field-wide methodological and analytical standards may increase value and reduce waste, allowing researchers to gain additional insights into the role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Cirkovic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - V Garovic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - J Milin Lazovic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - O Milicevic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - M Savic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - N Rajovic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - N Aleksic
- Center for Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Weissgerber
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, QUEST Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Stefanovic
- Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - D Stanisavljevic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - N Milic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. .,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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13
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Genetic hypothesis for the developmental origins of health and disease theory. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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14
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Abstract
Preeclampsia is a medical condition affecting 5-10% of pregnancies. It has serious effects on the health of the pregnant mother and developing fetus. While possible causes of preeclampsia are speculated, there is no consensus on its etiology. The advancement of big data and high-throughput technologies enables to study preeclampsia at the new and systematic level. In this review, we first highlight the recent progress made in the field of preeclampsia research using various omics technology platforms, including epigenetics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Next, we integrate the results in individual omic level studies, and show that despite the lack of coherent biomarkers in all omics studies, inhibin is a potential preeclamptic biomarker supported by GWAS, transcriptomics and DNA methylation evidence. Using network analysis on the biomarkers of all the literature reviewed here, we identify four striking sub-networks with clear biological functions supported by previous molecular-biology and clinical observations. In summary, omics integration approach offers the promise to understand molecular mechanisms in preeclampsia.
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15
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Wang J, Gao F, Zhao X, Cai Y, Jin H. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome-wide m6A methylome in preeclampsia and healthy control placentas. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9880. [PMID: 32983644 PMCID: PMC7500358 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification in eukaryotic mRNA and potential regulatory functions of m6A have been shown by mapping the RNA m6A modification landscape. m6A modification in active gene regulation manifests itself as altered methylation profiles. The number of reports regarding to the profiling of m6A modification and its potential role in the placenta of preeclampsia (PE) is small. In this work, placental samples were collected from PE and control patients. Expression of m6A-related genes was investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq were performed to detect m6A methylation and mRNA expression profiles. Gene ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were also conducted to explore the modified genes and their clinical significance. Our findings show that METTL3 and METTL14 were up-regulated in PE. In total, 685 m6A peaks were differentially expressed as determined by MeRIP-seq. Altered peaks of m6A-modified transcripts were primarily associated with nitrogen compound metabolic process, positive regulation of vascular-associated smooth muscle cell migration, and endoplasmic reticulum organisation. The m6A hyper-methylated genes of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, mTOR signalling pathway, and several cancer-related pathways may contribute to PE. We also verified that the significant increase of HSPA1A mRNA and protein expression was regulated by m6A modification, suggesting m6A plays a key role in the regulation of gene expression. Our data provide novel information regarding m6A modification alterations in PE and help our understanding of the pathogenesis of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Fengchun Gao
- Obstetrical Department, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaohan Zhao
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Cai
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Hua Jin
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Jinan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jinan, China
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