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Quantitative aberrations of hypermethylated RASSF1A gene sequences in maternal plasma in pre-eclampsia
Dana W Y Tsui1, K C Allen Chan, Stephen S C Chim
1Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR.
Objective:
To study if quantitative aberrations in circulating placental-derived hypermethylated RASSF1A DNA in maternal plasma are associated with pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
Method:
Maternal plasma and placental tissues from third-trimester pre-eclamptic women and gestational-age matched normotensive controls were studied. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify RASSF1A concentrations before and after methylation-sensitive restriction digestion in a duplex assay, where ss-actin concentrations were quantified as an internal control to confirm complete enzyme digestion.
Results:
The median concentrations of hypermethylated RASSF1A were 4.3-fold higher in maternal plasma of pre-eclamptic subjects than in controls. There was no significant difference between the extent of RASSF1A hypermethylation in placental tissues obtained from pre-eclamptic and control pregnancies.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated the potential utility of hypermethylated RASSF1A sequences in maternal plasma as a gender- and polymorphism-independent marker for pre-eclampsia.