scholarly journals Abnormal Circulating Maternal miRNA Expression Is Associated with a Low (<4%) Cell-Free DNA Fetal Fraction

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2108
Author(s):  
Graziano Santoro ◽  
Cristina Lapucci ◽  
Marco Giannoccaro ◽  
Simona Caporilli ◽  
Martina Rusin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Trophoblast Invasion ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cell Free Dna ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Free Dna ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Migration Pathways ◽  
Fetal Fraction

The present pilot study investigates whether an abnormal miRNA profile in NIPT plasma samples can explain the finding of a low cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fetal fraction (cfDNAff) in euploid fetuses and non-obese women. Twelve women who underwent neoBona® NIPT with a normal fetal karyotype were studied. Six with a cfDNAff < 4% were matched with a control group with normal levels of cfDNAff > 4%. Samples were processed using the nanostring nCounter® platform with a panel of 800 miRNAs. Four of the maternal miRNAs, miR-579, miR-612, miR-3144 and miR-6721, had a significant abnormal expression in patients. A data filtering analysis showed that miR-579, miR-612, miR-3144 and miR-6721 targeted 169, 1, 48 and 136 placenta-specific genes, respectively. miR-579, miR-3144 and miR-6721 shared placenta-specific targeted genes involved in trophoblast invasion and migration pathways (IGF2R, PTCD2, SATB2, PLAC8). Moreover, the miRNA target genes encoded proteins localized in the placenta and involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia, including chorion-specific transcription factor GCMa, PRG2, Lin-28 Homolog B and IGFBP1. In conclusion, aberrant maternal miRNA expression in circulating plasma could be a source of dysregulating trophoblast invasion and migration and could represent a novel cause of a low cfDNAff in the sera of pregnant women at the time of NIPT analysis.

scholarly journals BCOR Internal Tandem Duplication Expression in Neural Stem Cells Promotes Growth, Invasion, and Expression of PRC2 Targets

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 3913
Author(s):  
Satoshi Nakata ◽  
Ming Yuan ◽  
Jeffrey A. Rubens ◽  
Ulf D. Kahlert ◽  
Jarek Maciaczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Tandem Duplication ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Cellular Growth ◽  
Central Nervous System Tumor ◽  
Internal Tandem Duplication ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Human Neural Stem Cells ◽  
And Migration

Central nervous system tumor with BCL6-corepressor internal tandem duplication (CNS-BCOR ITD) is a malignant entity characterized by recurrent alterations in exon 15 encoding the essential binding domain for the polycomb repressive complex (PRC). In contrast to deletion or truncating mutations seen in other tumors, BCOR expression is upregulated in CNS-BCOR ITD, and a distinct oncogenic mechanism has been suggested. However, the effects of this change on the biology of neuroepithelial cells is poorly understood. In this study, we introduced either wildtype BCOR or BCOR-ITD into human and murine neural stem cells and analyzed them with quantitative RT-PCR and RNA-sequencing, as well as growth, clonogenicity, and invasion assays. In human cells, BCOR-ITD promoted derepression of PRC2-target genes compared to wildtype BCOR. A similar effect was found in clinical specimens from previous studies. However, no growth advantage was seen in the human neural stem cells expressing BCOR-ITD, and long-term models could not be established. In the murine cells, both wildtype BCOR and BCOR-ITD overexpression affected cellular differentiation and histone methylation, but only BCOR-ITD increased cellular growth, invasion, and migration. BCOR-ITD overexpression drives transcriptional changes, possibly due to altered PRC function, and contributes to the oncogenic transformation of neural precursors.

scholarly journals miR-373-3p Regulates Invasion and Migration Abilities of Trophoblast Cells via Targeted CD44 and Radixin

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6260
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jung Lee ◽  
Seung Mook Lim ◽  
Hee Yeon Jang ◽  
Young Ran Kim ◽  
Joon-Seok Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Labor ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Gene Array ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Trophoblast Cells ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Mirna Array ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Putative Target ◽  
And Migration

Preterm labor (PTL) is one of the obstetric complications, and is known to be associated with abnormal maternal inflammatory response and intrauterine inflammation and/or infection. However, the expression of specific miRNAs associated with PTL is not clear. In this study, we performed combination analysis of miRNA array and gene array, and then selected one miRNA (miR-373-3p) and its putative target genes (CD44 and RDX) that exhibited large expression differences in term and PTL placentas with or without inflammation. Using qRT-PCR and luciferase assays, we confirmed that miR-373-3p directly targeted CD44 and RDX. Overexpression of miR-373-3p reduced the migration and invasion of trophoblast cells, while inhibition of miR-373-3p restored the migration and invasion abilities of trophoblast cells. Finally, we validated the expression of miR-373-3p and its target genes in clinical patients’ blood. miR-373-3p was increased in PTL patients’ blood, and was the most expressed in PTL patients’ blood with inflammation. In addition, by targeting the miR-373-3p, CD44 and RDX was decreased in PTL patients’ blood, and their expression were the lowest in PTL patients’ blood with inflammation. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-373-3p and its target genes can be potential biomarkers for diagnosis of PTL.

scholarly journals miR-17-5p promotes the invasion and migration of colorectal cancer by regulating HSPB2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei fang Yu ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
Mingda Xuan ◽  
Shuangshuang Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Lymph Node ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Node Metastasis ◽  
Rescue Experiment ◽  
And Migration

Abstract Background: MicroRNA (miRNA) can affect tumor progression by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis. After miRNA microarray chip analysis of colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and adjacent normal tissues, a significant upregulation of miR-17-5p expression was found in CRC tissues. However, the underlying mechanism of miR-17-5p in CRC is still unclear.Methods: The levels of miR-17-5p in 47 paired CRC and adjacent normal tissue samples were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry and transwell assays were used to explore the biological effects of miR-17-5p on CRC cells. In addition, the transcriptome sequencing and miRNA target prediction software were employed to identify targets of miR-17-5p. Luciferase reporter detection was used to demonstrate the direct binding of target genes by miR-17-5p. The rescue experiment was conducted to investigate the biological function of target genes and regulatory mechanism of miR-17-5p on target genes.Results: The expression of miR-17-5p was significantly higher in CRC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. In CRC group, the expression of miR-17-5p in cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis was higher compared with those without lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of miR-17-5p inhibited CRC cell apoptosis, as well as promoting proliferation, migration and invasion. We hypothesized that HSPB2 might be a target gene of miR-17-5p and validated for the first time that miR-17-5p binds directly to the 3’-UTR of HSPB2. In the rescue experiment, the tumor suppressive effect of HSPB2 was detected and miR-17-5p could promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting HSPB2.Conclusion: MiR-17-5p promotes invasion and migration by inhibiting HSPB2 in CRC, thereby implicating its potential as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

Quick cell-free DNA testing for the prediction of postconcussion syndrome: a single-center prospective pilot trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ido Ben Zvi ◽  
Oren Shaia Harel ◽  
Amos Douvdevani ◽  
Penina Weiss ◽  
Chen Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Single Center ◽  
Postconcussion Syndrome ◽  
Cell Free Dna ◽  
Free Dna

OBJECTIVE Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major cause of emergency room (ER) admission. Thirty percent of mTBI patients have postconcussion syndrome (PCS), and 15% have symptoms for over a year. This population is underdiagnosed and does not receive appropriate care. The authors proposed a fast and inexpensive fluorometric measurement of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a biomarker for PCS. cfDNA is a proven, useful marker of a variety of acute pathological conditions such as trauma and acute illness. METHODS Thirty mTBI patients were recruited for this prospective single-center trial. At admission, patients completed questionnaires and blood was drawn to obtain cfDNA. At 3–4 months after injury, 18 patients returned for cognitive assessments with questionnaires and the Color Trails Test (CTT). The fast SYBR Gold assay was used to measure cfDNA. RESULTS Seventeen men and 13 women participated in this trial. The mean ± SD age was 50.9 ± 13.9 years. Of the 18 patients who returned for cognitive assessment, one-third reported working fewer hours, 4 (22.2%) changed their driving patterns, and 5 (27.7%) reduced or stopped performing physical activity. The median cfDNA level of the mTBI group was greater than that of the matched healthy control group (730.5 vs 521.5 ng/ml, p = 0.0395). Admission cfDNA concentration was negatively correlated with performance on the CTT1 and CTT2 standardized tests (r = −0.559 and −0.599), meaning that greater cfDNA level was correlated with decreased cognitive performance status. The performance of the patients with normal cfDNA level included in the mTBI group was similar to that of the healthy participants. In contrast, the increased cfDNA group (> 800 ng/ml) had lower scores on the CTT tests than the normal cfDNA group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with moderate/severe cognitive impairment according to CTT1 results had a greater median cfDNA level than the patients with scores indicating mild impairment or normal function (1186 vs 473.5 ng/ml, p = 0.0441, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.8393). CONCLUSIONS The data from this pilot study show the potential to use cfDNA, as measured with a fast test, as a biomarker to screen for PCS in the ER. A large-scale study is required to establish the value of cfDNA as an early predictor of PCS.

scholarly journals An online tool for fetal fraction prediction based on direct size distribution analysis of maternal cell-free DNA

BioTechniques ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Bedon ◽  
Josef Vuch ◽  
Simeone Dal Monego ◽  
Germana Meroni ◽  
Vanna Pecile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Prenatal Testing ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Blood Draw ◽  
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing ◽  
Cell Free Dna ◽  
Maternal Cell ◽  
Fetal Dna ◽  
Free Dna ◽  
Fetal Fraction

The discovery of circulating fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women has greatly promoted advances in noninvasive prenatal testing. Screening performance is enhanced with higher fetal fraction and analysis of samples whose fetal DNA fraction is lower than 4% are unreliable. Although current approaches to fetal fraction measurement are accurate, most of them are expensive and time consuming. Here we present a simple and cost-effective solution that provides a quick and reasonably accurate fetal fraction by directly evaluating the size distribution of circulating DNA fragments in the extracted maternal cell-free DNA. The presented approach could be useful in the presequencing stage of noninvasive prenatal testing to evaluate whether the sample is suitable for the test or a repeat blood draw is recommended.

Impact of long‐term storage of plasma and cell‐free DNA on measured DNA quantity and fetal fraction

Vox Sanguinis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. 586-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Banch Clausen ◽  
Angela N. Barrett ◽  
Henna V. Advani ◽  
Mahesh Choolani ◽  
Morten Hanefeld Dziegiel
Keyword(s):  
Cell Free Dna ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Free Dna ◽  
Term Storage ◽  
Fetal Fraction

scholarly journals Cell-Free DNA Analysis of Targeted Genomic Regions in Maternal Plasma for Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing of Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 13, and Fetal Sex

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 848-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Koumbaris ◽  
Elena Kypri ◽  
Kyriakos Tsangaras ◽  
Achilleas Achilleos ◽  
Petros Mina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trisomy 21 ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Prenatal Testing ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Maternal Plasma ◽  
Trisomy 13 ◽  
Cell Free Dna ◽  
Free Dna ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Fetal Fraction

Abstract BACKGROUND There is great need for the development of highly accurate cost effective technologies that could facilitate the widespread adoption of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT). METHODS We developed an assay based on the targeted analysis of cell-free DNA for the detection of fetal aneuploidies of chromosomes 21, 18, and 13. This method enabled the capture and analysis of selected genomic regions of interest. An advanced fetal fraction estimation and aneuploidy determination algorithm was also developed. This assay allowed for accurate counting and assessment of chromosomal regions of interest. The analytical performance of the assay was evaluated in a blind study of 631 samples derived from pregnancies of at least 10 weeks of gestation that had also undergone invasive testing. RESULTS Our blind study exhibited 100% diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and correctly classified 52/52 (95% CI, 93.2%–100%) cases of trisomy 21, 16/16 (95% CI, 79.4%–100%) cases of trisomy 18, 5/5 (95% CI, 47.8%–100%) cases of trisomy 13, and 538/538 (95% CI, 99.3%–100%) normal cases. The test also correctly identified fetal sex in all cases (95% CI, 99.4%–100%). One sample failed prespecified assay quality control criteria, and 19 samples were nonreportable because of low fetal fraction. CONCLUSIONS The extent to which free fetal DNA testing can be applied as a universal screening tool for trisomy 21, 18, and 13 depends mainly on assay accuracy and cost. Cell-free DNA analysis of targeted genomic regions in maternal plasma enables accurate and cost-effective noninvasive fetal aneuploidy detection, which is critical for widespread adoption of NIPT.

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