Changes in microRNA expression associated with preeclampsia: a systematic review.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease of pregnancy characterized by the new onset of hypertension accompanied by proteinuria and/or other signs of maternal organ dysfunction that manifests after 20 weeks of gestation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (19-25 nucleotides) that function in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Many studies have suggested that different microRNA expression profiles may be associated with the development of PE. Hence, this study aims to report differentially expressed microRNAs that may be associated with the pathogenesis of PE and investigate whether different miRNA expression profiles are associated with different PE classifications and different phases of pregnancy. The bibliographic search was conducted from September 2021 to August 2024 and was performed on MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. This systematic review followed the methodological guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration Manual for Systematic Intervention Reviews and was written according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Of the 1362 studies identified, 263 articles were selected as the sample of this study. The most frequently cited upregulated microRNAs were: miR-210, miR-155, miR-518b, miR-181a, miR-125b, miR-183, and miR-16. The most frequently cited downregulated microRNAs were: miR-363, miR-18a, miR-144, miR-149, miR-16, miR-18b, and miR-195. This study will serve as a reference to guide future experimental research. In addition, knowledge of the expression profiles of microRNAs associated with PE can help in the development of new protocols for early prediction of the disease.