Variation in Placental microRNA Expression Associates with Familial Cardiovascular Disease

In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, and the rate of maternal mortality remains among the highest of any industrialized nation. Maternal cardiometabolic health throughout gestation and postpartum is representative of placental health and physiology. Both proper placental functionality and placental microRNA expression are essential to successful pregnancy outcomes, and both are highly sensitive to genetic and environmental sources of variation. While placental pathologies, such as preeclampsia, are associated with maternal cardiovascular health and may contribute to the developmental programming of cardiovascular disease, the role of more subtle alterations to placental function and microRNA expression in this relationship remains poorly understood. To develop a more comprehensive understanding of how cardiometabolic health influences placental microRNA expression, and how this shapes placental functionality, we performed small RNA sequencing to investigate microRNA in the placentae from the Rhode Island Child Health Study (n=230). We modeled microRNA counts on maternal family history of cardiovascular disease using negative binomial generalized linear models, and identified microRNAs that were differential expressed (DEmiRs) at a false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.10. Utilizing parallel mRNA sequencing data and bioinformatic target prediction software, we identified potential mRNA targets of these DEmiRs. We identified 9 DEmiRs, with predicted targets of those miRNA enriched overwhelmingly in the TGFβ signaling pathway but also in pathways involving cellular metabolism and immunomodulation. Overall, we identified a robust association existing between familial cardiovascular disease and placental microRNA expression which may be implicated in both placental insufficiencies and the developmental programming of cardiovascular disease.