Maternal miRNA-146a G/C rs2910164 variation, HIV/AIDS and nitrogen oxide pollution exposure collectively affects foetal growth

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology 2019-01, Vol.38 (1), p.82-94
• Main Authors: Naidoo, P, Naidoo, RN, Ramkaran, P, Muttoo, S, Asharam, K, Chuturgoon, AA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABO system; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Air Pollutants - analysis; Alleles; Babies; Birth weight; Blood pressure; Childbirth & labor; Environmental Exposure; Exposure; Female; Fetal Development; Genotype; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - genetics; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Hypertension; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Inflammatory diseases; Iron; Low-birth-weight; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; NF-κB protein; Nitrogen; Nitrogen oxides; Nitrogen Oxides - analysis; Pollution; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Pregnancy; Premature birth; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Restriction fragment length polymorphism; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; South Africa; Viruses; Weight; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0960-3271; 1477-0903
• DOI: 10.1177/0960327118781902

Objective: Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS intensify inflammation during pregnancy and linked with adverse birth outcomes (ABOs). MicroRNA (miRNA)-146a plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation in the NF-κB pathway. The G/C rs2910164 dampens miRNA-146a activity and linked with inflammatory diseases. The present study investigated whether HIV/AIDS and NOx exposure throughout pregnancy further intensifies ABO in Black South African women genotyped for the rs2910164. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 300) were subdivided into low, medium and high NOx exposure groups, genotyped for the miRNA-146a G/C rs2910164 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and further stratified based on HIV status. Results: Unstratified data (HIV+ and HIV− mothers combined): Mothers from the high NOx group with the variant C-allele had low blood iron levels (p = 0.0238), and had babies with reduced birthweights (p = 0.0283). As NOx increased, the prevalence of preterm birth and low birth weight also increased in mothers with the variant C-allele versus wildtype G-allele. HIV-infected mothers: In all NOx exposure groups, mothers with the variant C-allele had higher systolic blood pressure (low: p = 0.0386, medium: p = 0.0367 and high: p = 0.0109) and had babies with lower Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration scores at 1 min (low: p = 0.0190, medium: p = 0.0301 and high: p = 0.0361). Conclusion: Maternal rs2910164 variant C-allele, NOx pollution and HIV/AIDS might collectively play a role in intensifying gestational hypertension and ABO.