Cell-free DNA Methylation and Transcriptomic Signature Prediction of Pregnancies with Adverse Outcomes [WGBS]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Although analysis of maternal plasma cell-free content has been employed for screening of genetic abnormalities within a pregnancy, limited attention has been paid to its use for the detection of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) based on placental function. Here we investigated cell-free DNA and RNA content of 102 maternal and 25 cord plasma samples. Employing a novel deconvolution methodology, we found that during the first trimester, placenta-specific DNA increased prior to the subsequent development of gestational diabetes with no change in patients with preeclampsia while decreasing with maternal obesity. Moreover, using cell-free RNA sequencing, APOs revealed seventy-one differentially expressed genes early in pregnancy. We noticed the upregulation of S100A8, MS4A3 and MMP8 that have been already associated with APOs but also the upregulation of BCL2L15 and the downregulation of ALPL that have never been associated with APOs. We constructed a classifier with a positive predictive ability (AUC) of 0.91 for APOs, 0.86 for preeclampsia alone and 0.64 for GDM. We conclude that placenta-specific cell-free nucleic acids during early gestation provide the possibility of predicting APOs prior to the emergence of characteristic clinical features.
Project description:Although analysis of maternal plasma cell-free content has been employed for screening of genetic abnormalities within a pregnancy, limited attention has been paid to its use for the detection of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) based on placental function. We investigated the cell-free RNA content of 102 maternal, 25 cord plasma samples and 7 non pregnant women as control. using cell-free RNA sequencing, APOs revealed seventy-one differentially expressed genes early in pregnancy. We noticed the upregulation of S100A8, MS4A3 and MMP8 that have been already associated with APOs but also the upregulation of BCL2L15 and the downregulation of ALPL that have never been associated with APOs. We constructed a classifier with a positive predictive ability (AUC) of 0.91 for APOs, 0.86 for preeclampsia alone and 0.64 for GDM. We conclude that placenta-specific cell-free nucleic acids during early gestation provide the possibility of predicting APOs prior to the emergence of characteristic clinical features.
Project description:The human placenta is a dynamic and cellular heterogeneous organ, which is critical in fetomaternal homeostasis and the development of preeclampsia. Previous work has shown that placenta-derived cell-free RNA increases during pregnancy. We applied large-scale microfluidic single-cell transcriptomic technology to comprehensively characterize cellular heterogeneity of the human placentas and identified multiple placental cell-type–specific gene signatures. Analysis of the cellular signature expression in maternal plasma enabled noninvasive delineation of the cellular dynamics of the placenta during pregnancy and the elucidation of extravillous trophoblastic dysfunction in early preeclampsia.
Project description:Copeptin, the c-terminal fragment of arginine vasopressin (AVP), is considered a useful biomarker for the secretion of AVP. Preeclampsia, a cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy, has been associated with elevated maternal plasma copeptin concentrations. These findings led us to hypothesize that AVP secretion is elevated during preeclampsia, and may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disorder. To examine the effect of increased circulating AVP upon placental development, exogenous AVP was infused into pregnant wildtype C57BL/6J mice, and the transcriptome of a single placenta per dam was assessed at gestational day 12.5 by RNAseq.
Project description:To determine the circRNA expression profile in preeclampsia and natural pregnancy placenta tissues, we uesed circRNA microArray analysis form Arraystar to examine the expression of circRNAs in preeclampsia and natural pregnancy placenta tissues.
Project description:Preeclampsia complicates more than 3% of all pregnancies in the United States and Europe. High-risk populations include women with diabetes, dyslipidemia, thrombotic disorders, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypertension, renal diseases, previous preeclampsia, twin pregnancies, and low socioeconomic status. In the latter case, the incidence may increase to 20% to 25%. Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Preeclampsia is defined by systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of more than 90 mm Hg after 20 weeks gestation in a previously normotensive patient, and new-onset proteinuria. Abnormal placentation associated with shallow trophoblast invasion (fetal cells from outer cell layer of the blastocyst) into endometrium (decidua) and improper spiral artery remodeling in the decidua are initial pathological steps. In this study we analyzed the renin-angiotensin system in adipose tissue, decidua and placenta from women with uneventful pregnancy and women with preeclampsia. We also analyzed the tissue by Affymetrix chips in a comparison study (control vs. preeclampsia) Experiment Overall Design: 6 affymetrix human expression chips (GPL570) were analyzed. Experiment Overall Design: They represent 3 tissues (pooled from 10 individuals each) from patients with preeclampsia and from patients with uneventful pregnancy (collected by cesaraen section). Tissues from patients with uneventful pregnancy are the controls in comparison to tissues of patients with preeclampsia.
Project description:Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important class of pervasive genes involved in a variety of biological functions. They are aberrantly expressed in many types of diseases. We want to study the lncRNAs profiles in preeclampsia. Preeclampsia has been observed in patients with molar pregnancy where a fetus is absent demonstrating that the placenta is sufficient to cause the condition. So we analyze the lncRNAs profiles in preeclampsia placentas. In this study, we described the lncRNAs profiles in 6 preeclampsia placentas (T) and 5 matched normal pregnancy placentas (N) tissues by microarray. Methodology/Principal Findings: With abundant and varied probes accounting 33,045 LncRNAs in our microarray, the number of lncRNAs that expressed at a certain level could be detected is 28,443. From the data we found there were 738 lncRNAs that differentially expressed (M-bM-^IM-%1.5 fold-change) among preeclampsia placentas compared with matched controls. Up to 18,063 coding transcripts could be detected in placenta samples through 30,215 coding transcripts probes. Coding-non-coding gene co-expression networks (CNC network) were constructed based on the correlation analysis between the differential expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. According to the GO-Pathway analysis of differential expressed lncRNAs/mRNAs, we choose three lncRNAs to analyze the relationship between lncRNAs and preeclampsia. LOC391533, LOC284100, CEACAMP8 were evaluated by qPCR in 40 of preeclampsia placentas and 40 of controls. The results showed three lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in preeclampsia placentas compared with controls. Conclusions/Significance: Our study is the first one to determine genome-wide lncRNAs expression patterns in preeclampsia placenta by microarray. The results displayed that clusters of lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in preeclampsia placenta compared with controls, which revealed that lncRNAs differentially expressed in preeclampsia placenta may exert a partial or key role in preeclampsia development. Misregulation of LOC391533, LOC284100, CEACAMP8 might be associated with preeclampsia. Taken together, this study may provide potential targets for future treatment of preeclampsia and novel insights into preeclampsia biology. LncRNAs/mRNAs profiles in 6 preeclampsia placentas and 5 matched normal pregnancy placentas tissues by microarray using Arraystar v2.0.
Project description:Data on the temporal dynamics of human placental gene expression is scarce. We have completed the first whole-genome profiling of human placental gene expression dynamics (GeneChips, Affymetrix®) from early to mid- gestation (10 samples; gestational weeks 5 to 18) and report 154 genes with considerable change in transcript levels (FDR P<0.1). Functional enrichment analysis revealed >200 GO categories that are statistically over-represented among 105 genes with dynamically increasing transcript levels. Analysis in an extended sample (n=43; gestational weeks 5 to 41) conformed a highly significant (FDR P<0.05) expressional peak in mid-gestation placenta for ten genes: BMP5, CCNG2, CDH11, FST, GATM, GPR183, ITGBL1, PLAGL1, SLC16A10, STC1. A central hypothesis of our study states that the aberrant expression of genes characteristic to mid-gestation placenta may contribute to affected fetal growth, maternal preeclampsia (PE) or gestational diabetes (GD). The gene STC1 coding for Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) was identified with a sharp placental expressional peak in mid-gestation, increased mRNA levels at term and significantly elevated STC1 protein levels in post-partum maternal plasma in all pregnancy complications. The highest STC1 levels were identified in women, who developed simultaneously PE and delivered an SGA baby (median 731 vs 418 pg/ml in controls; P=0.001). CCNG2 and LYPD6 exhibited significantly increased placental mRNA expression and enhanced intensity of immunohistochemistry staining in placental sections all studied in GD and PE cases. Aberrant expression of mid-gestation specific genes in pregnancy complications at term indicates the importance of the fine-scale tuning of the temporal dynamics of transcription regulation in placenta. Observed significantly elevated plasma STC1 in complicated pregnancies warrants further investigations of its potential as a biomarker. Interestingly, a majority of genes with high expression in mid-gestation placenta have also been implicated in adult complex disease. This observation promotes a recently opened discussion on the role of placenta in developmental programming. 4 samples; this submission is extension of our earlier study (accession GSE22490).
Project description:The placenta mediates adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, characterized by gestational hypertension and proteinuria. Placental cell type heterogeneity in preeclampsia is not well-understood and limits mechanistic interpretation of bulk gene expression measures. We generated single-cell RNA-sequencing samples for integration with existing data to create the largest deconvolution reference of 19 fetal and 8 maternal cell types from placental villous tissue at term. We deconvoluted eight published microarray case-control studies of preeclampsia. Our findings indicate substantial placental cellular heterogeneity in preeclampsia that predict previously observed bulk gene expression differences. Our deconvolution reference lays the groundwork for cellular heterogeneity-aware investigation into placental dysfunction and adverse birth outcomes.
Project description:Liquid biopsies that measure circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) offer an unprecedented opportunity to noninvasively study the development of pregnancy-related complications and to bridge gaps in clinical care. Here, we sequenced cfRNA from 404 blood plasma samples (199 pregnant mothers) to identify and validate cfRNA transcriptomic changes that are associated with preeclampsia (PE), a multi-organ syndrome which is the second largest cause of maternal death globally. For each individual, samples were collected at one or more timepoints across gestation. For some, samples were also collected at least once post-partum.
Project description:Maternal exposure to social stress during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders in the offspring in later life. How the effects of maternal social stress are transmitted to the developing foetus is unclear. Using a rat model of maternal social stress during pregnancy, we explored the mechanisms by which maternal stress is conveyed to the foetus and the potential for targeted treatment to prevent disease in the offspring. Maternal stress induced oxidative stress in the placenta, but not in the foetal brain, which was prevented by a single administration of nanoparticle-bound antioxidant prior to the stress exposure. Moreover, this antioxidant treatment prevented prenatal stress-induced anxiety-like behaviour in juvenile male offspring, along with neurological and gene expression changes in the offspring brain. In vitro, placental conditioned medium or foetal plasma from stressed pregnancies caused changes to cultured cortical neurons, similar to those observed in the brains of juvenile offspring exposed to prenatal stress, and were found to contain altered levels of extracellular microRNAs but not corticosterone. The present study highlights the crucial role of the placenta, and molecules secreted from the placenta, in foetal brain development and provides evidence of the potential for treatment that can prevent maternal stress-induced foetal programming of neurological disease.