ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe pregnancy complication and is an important cause for maternal and child death, premature delivery, and limited intrauterine growth and development. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of NGAL and cystatin C, alone and in combination, for early prediction of PE at 10 - 14 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Serum levels of NGAL and cystatin C were assessed in women at 10 - 14 weeks of gestation who subsequently developed PE (n = 128) and normal pregnancy outcome (n = 183). Comparison of clinical characteristics, NGAL, and cystatin C levels between normal pregnancy and PE groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to analyze the value of serum NGAL and cystatin C levels in predicting PE. RESULTS: The levels of cystatin C and NGAL in the serum were significantly higher in the PE group [0.64 mg/L (0.52 - 0.78)] and [34.9 ng/mL (24.4 - 55.2), respectively] than in the normal pregnancy group [0.56 mg/L (0.49 - 0.65)] and [20.2 ng/mL (13.8 - 26.9), respectively]. ROC curve analysis showed that serum NGAL levels predicted the area under the curve in the PE period 0.739 (95% CI: 0.618 to 0.860). Serum cystatin C levels predicted the area under the curve in the PE period 0.722 (95% CI: 0.592 to 0.853). The combination of serum NGAL and cystatin C levels predicted the area under the curve in the PE period 0.877 (95% CI: 0.811 to 0.943). CONCLUSIONS: NGAL and cystatin C levels in serum appear to be ideal biomarkers for PE prediction at 10 - 14 weeks. The combination of NGAL and cystatin C will also be more valuable in discriminating patients at risk of developing PE from other pregnancy complications early in gestation.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers/blood , Cystatin C/blood , Lipocalin-2/blood , Pre-Eclampsia/blood , Adult , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Pre-Eclampsia/diagnosis , Predictive Value of Tests , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Outcome , Prognosis , ROC Curve , Young AdultABSTRACT
The function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in tumorigenesis has been extensively investigated. In the present study, the aim was to investigate the expression and role of miR204 in Bcell lymphoma. The present study demonstrated that miR204 is downregulated in Bcell lymphoma. Using in vitro studies, overexpression of miR204 was shown to inhibit growth in Daudi and Raji Bcell lymphoma cell lines. Furthermore, miR204 could bind the 3'untranslated region of signal transducer activator of transcription 5 (STAT5), a transcription factor that promotes Bcell lymphoma oncogenesis. Reintroduction of STAT5 reversed the antiproliferative roles of miR204, confirming the specific importance of STAT5 for miR204 action in cell proliferation. The present study suggests a novel mechanism for dysregulated miRNAs in the progression of Bcell lymphoma.