AI Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how toxic metals like lead and mercury affect miRNA levels in the cervix of pregnant women.
- Researchers took samples from 60 pregnant women, measuring cervical miRNA expression and analyzing their exposure to lead and mercury through blood and toenail samples.
- Results show that certain miRNAs were negatively impacted by mercury and lead levels, suggesting that these miRNAs could be potential indicators of maternal exposure to harmful chemicals during pregnancy.
Article Abstract
Aim: Toxic metals including lead and mercury are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between miRNA expression in the cervix during pregnancy with lead and mercury levels.
Materials & Methods: We obtained cervical swabs from pregnant women (n = 60) and quantified cervical miRNA expression. Women's blood lead, bone lead and toenail mercury levels were analyzed. We performed linear regression to examine the association between metal levels and expression of 74 miRNAs adjusting for covariates.
Results: Seventeen miRNAs were negatively associated with toenail mercury levels, and tibial bone lead levels were associated with decreased expression of miR-575 and miR-4286.
Conclusion: The findings highlight miRNAs in the human cervix as novel responders to maternal chemical exposure during pregnancy.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648659 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/epi.15.54 | DOI Listing |
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