Evaluation of up-regulated miR-UL22A-3p gene expression in miscarriages women infected with Human cytomegalovirus as biomarker for pregnancy complications

Ighewish Al-Khafaji, Zaytoon Abdulrida; Firat, Müge; Shndiwe, Ali Nadhim

doi:10.21608/mb.2024.322165.1171

Evaluation of up-regulated miR-UL22A-3p gene expression in miscarriages women infected with Human cytomegalovirus as biomarker for pregnancy complications

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Medicine College, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq.

² Şabanözü Vocational High School, Veterinary Department, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey.

³ Iraq Ministry of Health, Babylon Health Directorate, Iraq.

10.21608/mb.2024.322165.1171

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus-miR-UL22A-3p (hcmv-miR-UL22A-3p) is a small, non-coding RNA molecule involved in the regulation of gene expression, playing a key role in various biological processes and diseases, including viral infections such as those caused by herpesviruses. This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of hcmv-miR-UL22A-3p in women infected with Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and to assess its potential role in pregnancy outcomes, particularly miscarriage. A case-control study was conducted involving 50 women who experienced HCMV-related miscarriages and had a high viral load (>10×10³ copies/mL), alongside a control group of 50 healthy pregnant women with no history of miscarriage. Total RNA was extracted from buffy coat samples, and gene expression of hcmv-miR-UL22A-3p was quantified using Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Results demonstrated a significant upregulation of hcmv-miR-UL22A-3p in the miscarriage group, with a 2.92-fold change compared to the control group (1±0.0). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed high diagnostic performance, with 92% sensitivity, 98% specificity, a confidence interval of 0.88–1.0, an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91±0.3, and a cutoff value of 1.1 pg/mL (P = 0.000**). These findings suggest that elevated expression of hcmv-miR-UL22A-3p may be associated with HCMV-induced pregnancy loss and could serve as a potential biomarker for predicting miscarriage risk in HCMV-infected women.

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