miR-27b-3p is Highly Expressed in Serum of Patients with Preeclampsia and has Clinical Significance

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is defined as a salient complication of late pregnancy. microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical biological regulators in PE. This study determined miR-27b-3p expression in serum of PE patients and investigated its clinical significance in PE. METHODS: This study enrolled a total of 130 pregnant women, including 90 PE patients (51 mild PE and 39 severe PE) and 40 healthy controls. miR-27b-3p expression in the serum of PE patients and healthy controls was detected using RT-qPCR. The correlation among miR-27b-3p expression and 24-h urine protein, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum creatinine, and fetal birth weight was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The targeting relationship between miR-27b-3p and PPARG was verified. PPARG protein level in PE patients was detected using ELISA kits. The predictive efficiency of miR-27b-3p and PPARG in PE was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Compared to normal pregnant women, PE pregnant women, especially severe PE patients, had higher miR-27b-3p expression. miR-27b-3p was positively correlated with 24-h urine protein, SBP, DBP, and serum creatinine but negatively correlated with fetal birth weight. PPARG was poorly expressed in PE patients and negatively correlated with miR-27b-3p. ROC curve showed that both miR-27b-3p and PPARG had good predictive efficacy on PE. CONCLUSION: miR-27b-3p expression in serum of pregnant women with PE was positively correlated with the severity of PE symptoms, suggesting the involvement of miR-27b-3p in PE occurrence.