Extracellular vesicle microRNA in early versus late pregnancy with birth outcomes in the MADRES study - howe 2022

This study investigated whether extracellular vesicle (EV) miRNA in maternal plasma collected at different time points during pregnancy were associated with adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. The study analyzed 800 miRNA in EVs from 156 participants and found that 13 miRNA in late pregnancy were associated with gestational age at birth, with negative associations observed for eight miRNA and positive associations for five miRNA. Predicted target genes were enriched in pathways involved in organogenesis and placental development. An additional miRNA was positively associated with gestational age at birth in infants born to obese women. Sex-specific associations were observed for early pregnancy miRNA and gestational age at birth. These findings suggest that EV miRNA in both early and late pregnancy may contribute to gestational duration.

Howe CG, Foley HB, Kennedy EM, Eckel SP, Chavez TA, Faham D, Grubbs BH, Al-Marayati L, Lerner D, Suglia S, Bastain TM, Marsit CJ, Breton CV. Extracellular vesicle microRNA in early versus late pregnancy with birth outcomes in the MADRES study. Epigenetics. 2022 Mar;17(3):269-285. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2021.1899887. Epub 2021 Mar 18. PMID: 33734019; PMCID: PMC8920187.