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Paediatrics congenital heart disease is associated with plasma miRNAs

Pediatric Research (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Congenital heart disease (CHD) are the most common malformations from birth. The severity of the different forms of CHD varies extensively from superficial mild lesions with follow-up for decades without any treatment to complex cyanotic malformations requiring urgent surgical intervention. microRNAs have been found to be crucial in cardiac development, giving rise to possible phenotypes in CHD.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the expression of miRNAs in 86 children with CHD and divided into cyanotic and non-cyanotic heart defects and 110 controls.

Methods

The miRNAs expression of miR-21-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-144-3p were analyzed by RT-qPCR. In addition, the expressions of the miRNAs studied were correlated with the clinical characteristics of both the children and the mothers.

Results

The expression levels of miR-21-5-5p, miR-15-5p5, miR-221-3p, and miR-26-5p significantly differed between CHD and control subjects. Moreover, miR-21-5p levels were higher in patients with cyanotic versus non-cyanotic CHD patients.

Conclusion

The expression levels of miRNAs of pediatric patients with CHD could participating in the development of cardiac malformations. Additionally, the high expression of miR-21-5p in cyanotic CHD children may be related to greater severity of illness relative to non-cyanotic CHD.

Impact

  • This study adds to knowledge of the association between microRNAs and congenital heart disease in children.

  • The expression levels of miR-21-5-5p, miR-15-5p5, miR-221-3p, and miR-26-5p of pediatric patients with CHD could be involved in the development and phenotype present in pediatric patients.

  • miR-21-5p may help to discriminate between cyanotic and non-cyanotic CHD.

  • In the future, the miRNAs studied could have applications as clinical biomarkers.

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Fig. 1: miRNAs expression in plasma.
Fig. 2: miRNAs levels expression in plasma of non-cyanotic congenital heart disease group (nc-CHD) and cyanotic CHD.
Fig. 3: ROC curve analysis.

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Data availability

Data and materials are available for transparency. All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the patients and relatives for collaborating on this project. This work was financed by the budget granted to the Department of Physiology by the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chavez.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Department of Physiology, México City, 14380, México

    Nadia González-Moyotl, Claudia Huesca-Gómez, Yazmín Estela Torres-Paz, Giovanny Fuentevilla-Álvarez, Martín Martínez-Rosas & Ricardo Gamboa

  2. Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Posgrado de la Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, 11350, México

    Nadia González-Moyotl & Aarón Domínguez-López

  3. Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Coordination of the Human Milk Bank, México City, 11000, México

    Silvia Romero-Maldonado

  4. Instituto Nacional de Perinatología. Coordination of Nutrition and Bioprogramming, México City, 11000, México

    Reyna Sámano

  5. Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Research Direction, México City, 14380, México

    María Elena Soto

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  1. Nadia González-Moyotl
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Contributions

All authors contributed substantially to the conception, design, acquisition of information, and writing for this commentary. All authors approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ricardo Gamboa.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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This study was conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the locally appointed Ethics Committee, Institutional Review Board, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chavez, and Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia: Number: 20-1181.

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Informed consent was obtained from the parents of participants included in the study.

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González-Moyotl, N., Huesca-Gómez, C., Torres-Paz, Y.E. et al. Paediatrics congenital heart disease is associated with plasma miRNAs. Pediatr Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03230-3

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