Epigenetic alterations in preeclampsia: a focus on microRNA149 and tetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms in Egyptian women

Preeclampsia (PE) poses a substantial risk to prenatal and maternal health. Folic acid (FA) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) play roles in DNA methylation and genomic integrity maintenance, with MTHFR polymorphisms potentially impacting PE occurrence. Human microRNA 149 (miR-149) remains underexplored in PE despite its involvement in folate metabolism. This study seeks to evaluate serum miR-149 levels with the MTHFR C677T polymorphism for diagnosing PE.

Seventy females aged 28–40 gestational weeks were divided into control and Preeclampsia groups. Serum miR-149 and MTHFR gene levels were evaluated using real-time PCR.

Preeclamptic patients showed significantly lower serum miR-149 levels than healthy controls (P ≤ 0.01). PE cases showed a higher frequency of the TT genotype and T allele of the C677T polymorphism (OR = 0.181, 2.882, respectively), implicating them as genetic risk factors. The CT genotype also increased PE risk (OR = 0.26), while no significant difference was observed in the CC genotype.

Merging miR-149 and MTHFR polymorphism assessment improves discrimination between healthy and PE groups, offering valuable insights into PE pathogenesis and potential diagnostic strategies.