Altered miRNA Expression in the Cervix During Pregnancy Associated with Lead and Mercury Exposure

Abstract

Aim: Toxic metals including lead and mercury are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between miRNA expression in the cervix during pregnancy with lead and mercury levels. Materials & methods: We obtained cervical swabs from pregnant women (n = 60) and quantified cervical miRNA expression. Women’s blood lead, bone lead and toenail mercury levels were analyzed. We performed linear regression to examine the association between metal levels and expression of 74 miRNAs adjusting for covariates. Results: Seventeen miRNAs were negatively associated with toenail mercury levels, and tibial bone lead levels were associated with decreased expression of miR-575 and miR-4286. Conclusion: The findings highlight miRNAs in the human cervix as novel responders to maternal chemical exposure during pregnancy.

Keywords::

• blood
• bone
• cervix
• delivery
• labor
• lead
• mercury
• miRNA
• patella
• tibia

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/3dp-2022-0019

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Erroll Reuckert at NanoString Technologies for his assistance with the miRNA expression profiling and analysis. The authors also thank the ABC Medical Center in Mexico City for providing facilities during data collection.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported in part by Pilot Project funding from the HSPH-NIEHS Center for Environmental Health (ES000002) and NIH/NIEHS: K23ES022242, K99ES023450, P42ES016454, P30ES23515, R01ES013744, R01ES020268, R01ES021357, the Klarman Scholars Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Harvard Catalyst D-MaPS Program and the National Institute of Public Health/Ministry of Health of Mexico. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The IRBs of the participating institutions approved this study: Brigham and Women’s Hospital # 2006-P-001416 and P001792, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai human subjects management #12-00751 and Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica project #560. Written informed consent was obtained from women participating in the PROGRESS study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by Pilot Project funding from the HSPH-NIEHS Center for Environmental Health (ES000002) and NIH/NIEHS: K23ES022242, K99ES023450, P42ES016454, P30ES23515, R01ES013744, R01ES020268, R01ES021357, the Klarman Scholars Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Harvard Catalyst D-MaPS Program and the National Institute of Public Health/Ministry of Health of Mexico. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.