Evaluation of vascular peroxidase 1, humanin, MOTS-c and miR-200c expression levels in untreated preeclampsia patients.

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of Vascular Peroxidase 1 (VPO1), humanin, and MOTS-c in relation to miR-200c expression in untreated preeclamptic pregnancies, and to compare these findings with endoglin levels.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, blood samples were collected from preeclamptic patients presenting to the clinic prior to the initiation of treatment. The levels of endoglin, VPO1, humanin, and MOTS-c were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while miR-200c expression was quantified using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess diagnostic accuracy. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05. The levels of endoglin, VPO1, and miR-200c were found to be significantly elevated in the preeclampsia group compared to the control group (p < 0.05), whereas MOTS-c levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in humanin levels between the two groups. A positive correlation was identified between endoglin levels and VPO1 (r = 0.943, p < 0.001), humanin (r = 0.421, p < 0.01), and uric acid (r = 0.314, p = 0.02) in the preeclamptic group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the elevation of VPO1 and miR-200c levels, along with the reduction of humanin and MOTS-c levels, may contribute to the increased endoglin levels and subsequent endothelial dysfunction observed in preeclampsia. These changes may be associated with the pathogenesis and severity of the disease.