LncRNA HULC Polymorphism Is Associated With Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion Susceptibility in the Southern Chinese Population

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in Long Noncoding RNA HOTTIP with Risk of Idiopathic Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

The clustered homeobox gene family known as the Hox family plays a fundamental role in the morphogenesis of the vertebrate's embryo. A long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), known as HOTTIP (HOXA transcript at the distal tip), has been functionally characterized and contributed to the pathogenesis of various conditions. The current case-control study was undertaken to examine the gene frequencies and shared alleles of the HOTTIP  gene in Iranian participants with or without idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Both ARMS-PCR reaction and RFLP-PCR techniques were employed to detect three HOTTIP polymorphisms (rs2023843C/T, rs78248039A/T, and rs1859168C/A) in a DNA sample of 161 women with RSA and 177 healthy women. We found that the TT genotype of the HOTTIP rs2023843 C/T polymorphism was associated with a lower risk for idiopathic RSA. In contrast, the TT genotype of the HOTTIP rs78248039 A/T polymorphism was correlated with an enhanced risk of RSA. The presence of the A-allele for HOTTIP rs1859168 C/A polymorphism was associated with an increased risk for idiopathic RSA. Haplotype analysis showed that the T/T/A, C/T/A, T/T/C, and T/A/A haplotypes of rs2023843/rs78248039/rs1859168 enhanced RSA susceptibility. Computational analysis predicted that this lncRNA might act as a potential sponge for some microRNAs; therefore, affecting the expression of genes being targeted by them. In addition, both rs2023843 and rs1859168 variants could alter the local secondary structure of HOTTIP. Our results showed that HOTTIP rs2023843C/T, rs78248039A/T, and rs1859168C/A polymorphisms may confer genetic susceptibility to idiopathic RSA in an Iranian population.

The possible role of long non-coding RNAs in recurrent miscarriage

Recurrent miscarriage (RM) is a complicated disease in reproductive medicine that impacts many families. Currently, the etiology of RM is thought to include chromosome abnormalities, reproductive tract malformations, autoimmune dysfunction, infection, and environmental factors. However, the underlying mechanisms of RM remain unknown. At present, research on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is rapidly emerging and becoming a hot research topic in epigenetic studies. Recent studies revealed that lncRNAs are strongly linked to RM and play a crucial role in epigenetic, cell cycle, cell differentiation regulation, and other life activities. This article mainly reviews the difference in lncRNA expression in patients with RM and regulation of susceptibility, endometrial receptivity, and the maternal-fetal interface. Meanwhile, the correlation between lncRNAs and RM is expounded, which provides new insights for the early diagnosis and treatment of RM.

Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 alleviates the progression of recurrent spontaneous abortion via the microRNA-183-5p/ZEB2 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been elucidated to play vital roles in the phenotype of trophoblast cells. Nevertheless, the effect of SNHG1 has not been investigated on trophoblast cells in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). We aim to investigate the effect of SNHG1 on the phenotype of trophoblast cells during RSA. The RSA mice were established by mating female CBA/J mice with male DBA/2 mice. Microarray analysis was applied in RSA mice, and SNHG1 was identified as a significantly downregulated lncRNA. SNHG1 improved pregnancy outcome and reduced embryo resorption in RSA mice. Trophoblast cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were investigated by CCK8, EdU, TUNEL, wound healing, and Transwell assays. SNHG1 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells, and reduced apoptosis. Mechanistically, SNHG1 bound to miR-183-5p in trophoblast cells. Moreover, miR-183-5p directly targeted ZEB2. Rescue experiment showed that ZEB2 silencing reversed the ameliorative effect of SNHG1 on pregnancy outcome and the promotion of trophoblast activity in RSA mice by impaired the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In conclusion, we found that SNHG1 plays a critical role in the progression of RSA via miR-183-5p/ZEB2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. It has potential to be a therapeutic marker of RSA.

Association between the rs3802201 polymorphism of the lncRNA MIR2052HG gene and the risk of recurrent miscarriage in a Southern Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Plenty of studies have indicated that some genetic polymorphisms of the breast cancer which associated with its susceptibility may also be related to the susceptibility of abortion. MIR2052HG plays an important role in the onset and progression of breast cancer by maintaining the level of ERα, but to the best of our knowledge, the correlation between risk of recurrent abortion and MIR2052HG rs3802201 C>G polymorphism is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted this case-control study to investigate whether MIR2052HG rs3802201 C>G polymorphism is associated with susceptibility of recurrent miscarriage (RM).

METHODS

We recruited 392 healthy controls and 248 patients with RM to process this research, the participants were all from southern China, and genotyping was performed by TaqMan method.

RESULTS

Our results showed that there was no evidence indicates the MIR2052HG rs3802201 C>G is related to RM (CG and CC: adjusted OR = 0.970, 95% CI = 0.694-1.355, p = 0.8577; GG and CC: adjusted OR = 0.743, 95% CI = 0.416-1.330, p = 0.3174; dominant model: adjusted OR = 0.925, 95% CI = 0.672-1.272, p = 0.6298; recessive model: adjusted OR = 0.751, 95% CI = 0.430-1.321, p = 0.3233).

CONCLUSION

We verified that the MIR2052HG rs3802201 C>G allele might be uncorrelated to the RM risk, but these findings require further validation in multicenter studies with larger sample size and different ethnicities.

Transcriptome sequencing identified the ceRNA network associated with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Background

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is one of the common complication of pregnancy, bringing heavy burden to the patients and their families. The study aimed to explore the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network associated with recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Methods

By transcriptome sequencing, we detected differences in lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA expression in villus tissue samples collected from 3 patients with RSA and 3 normal abortion patients. Differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs and genes (DELs, DEMs and DEGs, respectively) were identified, and Geno Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used to determine the functions of DELs and DEGs, which were analysed by Fisher’s test. We also observed the regulatory relationships between miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-miRNA by Cytoscape 3.6.1.

Results

The results showed that 1008 DELs (523 upregulated and 485 downregulated), 475 DEGs (201 upregulated and 274 downregulated) and 37 DEMs (15 upregulated and 22 downregulated) were identified. And we also constructed a novel lncRNA-related ceRNA network containing 31 lncRNAs, 1 miRNA (hsa-miR-210-5p) and 3 genes (NTNG2, GRIA1 and AQP1).

Conclusions

lncRNA-related ceRNA network containing 31 lncRNAs, 1 miRNA (hsa-miR-210-5p) and 3 mRNAs (NTNG2, GRIA1 and AQP1) was constructed. The results may provide a basic theory for elucidating the mechanism underlying RSA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-021-01125-4.

Circular RNA PUM1 (CircPUM1) attenuates trophoblast cell dysfunction and inflammation in recurrent spontaneous abortion via the MicroRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a-5p)/JUNB axis

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a threat to human reproductive health worldwide. CircPUM1 has been reported to participate in the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, there has been no report on its association with RSA yet. In this study, gene expressions were examined by RT-qPCR. Protein levels of JUNB and cleaved caspases-3 were detected by Western blotting. ELISA was used to detect TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 levels. Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoapsis were analyzed using CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry assays. The association between miR-30a-5p and circPUM1 or JUNB was identified by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and RIP assay. Herein, we found circPUM1 was significantly downregulated in RSA placental samples. CircPUM1 knockdown induced decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion, but increased apoptosis, pro-apoptotic protein (cleaved caspases-3) level, and proinflammatory factor (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8) secretion in trophoblast cells. Furthermore, we confirmed that circPUM1 was a sponge for miR-30a-5p, and JUNB was directly targeted by miR-30a-5p. It was demonstrated that miR-30a-5p inhibition could reverse trophoblast cell dysfunction and inflammation induced by circPUM1 knockdown. In addition, we found that JUNB expression was negatively modulated by miR-30a-5p and positively regulated by circPUM1. Moreover, circPUM1 inhibition exacerbated dysfunction and inflammation in trophoblast cells via targeting JUNB. To sum up, our study indicated that circPUM1 could impair RSA occurrence and development by facilitating trophoblast cellular processes and protecting against inflammation via the miR-30a-5p/JUNB axis, providing a new target for the improvement of RSA diagnosis and treatment.

Molecular epigenetic dynamics in breast carcinogenesis

Breast cancer has become one of the most common dreadful diseases that target women across the globe. The most obvious reasons we associate with it are either genetic mutations or dysregulation of pathways. However, there is yet another domain that has a significant role in influencing the genetic mutations and pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms influence these pathways either independently or in association with genetic mutations, thereby expediting the process of breast carcinogenesis. Breast cancer is governed by various transduction pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, NOTCH, β Catenin, NF-kB, Hedgehog, etc. There are many proteins as well that serve to be tumor suppressors but somehow lose their ability to function. This may be because of either genetic mutation or a process that represses their function. Apart from these, there are a lot of individual factors like puberty, breastfeeding, abortion, parity, circadian rhythm, alcohol consumption, pollutants, and obesity that drive these mutations and hence alter the pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation, histone modifications, and lncRNAs directly or indirectly bring alterations in the proteins that are involved in the pathways. They do this by either promoting the transcription of genes or by repressing it at the ground genetic level that advances breast carcinogenesis. Epigenetics precedes genetic mutation in driving carcinogenesis and so, it needs to be explored further to diversify the possibilities of target specific treatments. In this review, the general role of DNA methylation, histone modification, and lncRNAs in breast cancer and their role in influencing the oncogenic signaling pathways along with the various factors governing them have been discussed for a better understanding of the role of epigenetics in breast carcinogenesis.

Genetic variants of HOTAIR are associated with susceptibility to recurrent spontaneous abortion: A preliminary case-control study

AIM

To investigate the association between Hox transcript antisenses RNA (HOTAIR) polymorphisms, rs12826786 C/T, rs920778 T/C, rs4759314 A/G, and rs1899663 G/T, with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) susceptibility in the Iranian women.

METHODS

We enrolled 161 patients diagnosed with RSA and 177 healthy women with at least one live birth without a history of abortion. Genotyping of HOTAIR polymorphisms was carried out using both restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction and amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction methods. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed to estimate the strength of association.

RESULTS

Different inheritance models of rs12826786 C/T, rs920778 T/C, and rs1899663 G/T polymorphisms significantly enhanced the risk of RSA (p < 0.05), whereas the rs4759314 A/G polymorphism was correlated with diminished risk of developing RSA under recessive AA versus GA + GG (OR 0.42 [95% CI = 0.19-0.91]), log-additive GG versus GA vs. GG (OR 0.67 [95% CI = 0.48-0.93]), and allelic A versus G (OR 0.65 [95% CI = 0.47-0.92]) models. Moreover, the TGTC, TTCT, TTTC, CGTC, CGTT, CTCC, CTCT, CTTC, and CTTT haplotypes of rs920778/rs1899663/rs12826786/ significantly increased the risk of RSA. The studied variants were not in strong linkage disequilibrium.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that variations in the HOTAIR gene might serve as beneficial biomarkers for determining susceptibility to RSA. To confirm these findings, replication studies with a larger population and different races are needed.

The lncRNA ANRIL Gene rs2151280 GG Genotype is Associated with Increased Susceptibility to Recurrent Miscarriage in a Southern Chinese Population

Background

Genetic factors may play an important role in susceptibility to recurrent miscarriage. Some cardiovascular disease-related candidate genes have been shown to be associated with recurrent miscarriage. Long noncoding RNA ANRIL has been confirmed to be associated with susceptibility to various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. However, it remains unclear whether the ANRIL gene polymorphism is related to recurrent miscarriage susceptibility.

Methods

Three ANRIL gene polymorphisms (rs2151280, rs1063192 and rs564398) were genotyped in 819 controls and 610 recurrent miscarriage patients through TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of each association.

Results

Our results showed that the ANRIL rs2151280 GG genotype was associated with increased susceptibility to recurrent miscarriage (GG vs AA: adjusted OR=1.527, 95% CI=1.051–2.218, p=0.0262; GG vs AG/AA adjusted OR=1.460, 95% CI=1.021–2.089, p=0.0381). By combining the analysis of the risk genotypes in the three SNPs, we found that individuals with 2–3 risk genotypes had a significantly increased risk of recurrent miscarriage compared with those with a 0–1 risk genotype (adjusted OR=1.728, 95% CI=1.112–2.683, p=0.0149). This risk was more significant in subgroups of women less than 35–40 years of age and women with 2–3 miscarriages.

Conclusion

These results suggested that a specific SNP in the ANRIL gene may be associated with increased susceptibility to recurrent miscarriage in a southern Chinese population.

The expression and clinical significance of three lncRNAs in patients with a missed abortion

Missed abortions are common complications that occur in early pregnancy, and impaired trophoblast functions have been indicated to be associated with their pathogenesis. The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1), HOX Transcript Antisense RNA (HOTAIR) and Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) have been demonstrated to serve a crucial regulatory role in the mobility of trophoblast cells and embryo implantation. However, the expression profile and role of each of these three lncRNAs in patients with a missed abortion remain unclear. The expression of MALAT1, HOTAIR, and MEG3 in decidual and villous tissues from 26 patient exhibiting a missed abortion and 26 healthy controls was detected using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured using ELISA, and serum estradiol and progesterone levels were measured with electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Additionally, the correlations between lncRNA expression and the levels of cytokines and hormones were further analyzed. MALAT1, HOTAIR and MEG3 expression was significantly higher in villous tissues of patients exhibiting a missed abortion compared with healthy controls. MALAT1 expression was higher in decidual tissues of patients exhibiting a missed abortion compared with healthy controls. Serum IL-10 levels were significantly lower in patients exhibiting a missed abortion compared with healthy controls. Serum estradiol and progesterone levels were significantly lower in the group of patients exhibiting a missed abortion compared with the control group. Furthermore, MALAT1 expression in villous tissue was inversely related to serum progesterone levels. The results of the current study suggest that MALAT1 may be associated with the pathogenesis of missed abortions.