A method of predicting a risk of cardiovascular disease for a child born from a complicated pregnancy
Abstract
The present invention provides a method of predicting a risk of onset and development of cardiovascular disease for a child born from a pregnancy complicated by gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and/or fetal growth restriction, or in a child born from a physiological pregnancy having an abnormal postnatal clinical finding, said method comprising the steps of: - determining the level of expression of at least one microRNA marker selected from the group consisting of miR-1-3p, miR-17-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-103a-3p, miR-125b-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-181a-5p, miR-195-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-342-3p and combinations thereof, in a sample of blood taken from the child; - comparing the determined level(s) of expression of the said at least one microRNA marker with reference cut-off value, wherein said reference cut-off value is obtained by statistical analysis of samples from children from physiological pregnancies and samples from children from complicated pregnancies; - wherein the aberrant regulation of the said at least one microRNA marker exceeding the reference cut-off value, or below the reference cut-off value, respectively, indicates the risk of onset and development of cardiovascular disease for the child.