Evaluation of miRNA-210 as a Prognostic Biomarker for Pre-eclampsia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a complex, multisystem disorder occurring during pregnancy and remains a significant cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite its clinical importance, the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to the development of PE are not fully understood. Specific microRNAs, such as miRNA-210, may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of PE. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the potential utility of miRNA-210 as a biomarker for the early detection and risk prediction of PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted from April 2023 to February 2025 and involved PE and normotensive pregnant women admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Shri BM Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Bijapur Lingayat District Educational Association (BLDE) (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura. Women who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled after providing written informed consent. A total of 102 pregnant women participated, divided into two groups: Group 1 included 51 women diagnosed with PE, and Group 2 comprised 51 normotensive pregnant women matched for age (±5 years), gestational age (±1 week), and obstetric score, serving as the control group. All participants underwent detailed history-taking, clinical examinations, and laboratory investigations, including coagulation profile, liver function test, renal function test, complete blood count, proteinuria evaluation, and miRNA-210 gene expression analysis via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. A peripheral venous blood sample was collected at admission and submitted for genetic analysis. After genetic analysis, study parameters were compared, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were observed. RESULTS: Individuals with PE exhibited a statistically significant elevation in serum miRNA-210 levels (p<0.001) compared to the control group. miRNA-210 demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation with systolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum protein, serum uric acid, serum albumin, and serum alkaline phosphatase. However, no significant correlation was observed with hemoglobin percentage, platelet count, international normalized ratio, or serum creatinine. The area under the curve was 0.994, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.985 to 1.0. At a cut-off value of 9.63-fold change, serum miRNA-210 levels showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.1%, with positive and negative predictive values of 96.2% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum miRNA-210 levels were observed in women with PE compared to normotensive pregnant women. Thus, serum miRNA-210 may serve as a non-invasive diagnostic and predictive biomarker in PE and contribute to a better understanding of its etiology.