Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder clinical syndrome, coexisting hypertension and proteinuria. It is a result of the shallow remodeling of the spiral arteries after 20 weeks of gestation, which changes the placental microenvironment and releases a series of maternal circulation factors. Currently, there are no effective tools for the treatment of preeclampsia unless terminating pregnancy. The unclear pathogenesis, the high rate of fetal growth restriction, fetal disability and maternal mortality make it important for researchers to explore the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating the expression of almost 30% of all genes by binding to the 3' untranslated region of a target mRNA, which affects various cell processes, including differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and development. A large number of miRNAs can be expressed in human placental tissues, while some are only specifically expressed and can also be released into the maternal blood in the form of exosome during pregnancy. Thus, it makes miRNA hopefully as a novel molecular marker for monitoring pregnancy, prediction and diagnosis of gestational diseases.
子痫前期(preeclampsia，PE)是一种发生在妊娠20周以后，由于胎盘滋养细胞侵袭不足导致子宫螺旋动脉重塑受阻、局部微环境改变，进而释放出一系列体液因子，最终形成孕产妇高血压、蛋白尿等多系统器官功能紊乱的临床综合征。目前，终止妊娠是阻止该病发展的唯一方法。PE病因尚不明确，且是导致胎儿宫内生长受限、胎儿畸形和孕产妇死亡的常见原因，因此对PE发病机制的探究具有重要意义。微RNA(microRNA，miRNA)，通过与mRNA 3'端非编码RNA结合，调控人类约30%的基因的表达，影响细胞的分化、增殖、凋亡、生长等。大量miRNA可在人类胎盘组织中表达，部分miRNA仅仅在胎盘组织中特异性表达。胎盘中富含的miRNA也可以外体的形式在妊娠期间被释放到母体血液中，miRNA有望作为监测妊娠及预测、诊断妊娠期疾病的新型分子标志物。.
Keywords: microRNA; pathogenesis; preeclampsia.