Association of miR-124 polymorphism with labor analgesia in primiparas

Genetic polymorphism may influence the efficacy of analgesia during labor anesthesia. This study employed a retrospective case-control study design and aimed to investigate the potential influence of the miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism on the efficacy of labor analgesia in primiparous women.

100 primiparas were enrolled as study participants, all of whom received epidural sufentanil for analgesia. Genotyping was performed using the PCR-LDR, while RT-qPCR was employed to measure the miR-124 expression. The analgesic efficacy (assessed by VAS score), plasma concentration of sufentanil, and incidence of adverse reactions were compared among parturients with different genotypes.

In this study, the CC genotype was observed in 53% of participants, the CG genotype in 36%, and the GG genotype in 11%. Individuals with the CC genotype exhibited a higher VAS score at 1-hour post-administration (indicating a poorer analgesic response) and lower 1-minute Apgar scores. Primiparas carrying the CC genotype had reduced miR-124 expression, suggesting that the C allele might contribute to the physiological mechanisms of labor analgesia through down-regulation of miR-124. Moreover, individuals with the CC genotype showed lower sufentanil blood concentrations during the mid-phase of administration (15-20 minutes), which could be attributed to faster drug metabolism or clearance, leading to suboptimal plasma levels - possibly explaining the observed diminished analgesic effect (as indicated by the elevated VAS score at 1 hour). In contrast, primiparas carrying the G allele demonstrated higher sufentanil concentrations at the same time point, correlating with improved analgesic outcomes.

The miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism may influence the efficacy of labor analgesia.