Analysis of microRNA expression and micronuclei frequency in workers exposed to vinyl chloride monomer in China

• Published in: Epigenomics Vol. 9; no. 8; pp. 1093 - 1104
• Main Authors: Feng, Nan-nan, Fang, Yan, Zhang, Ya-nan, Xu, Xiao-wen, Li, Yong, Wang, Jin-wei, Li, Yong-liang, Brandt-Rauf, Paul, Xia, Zhao-lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Case-Control Studies; Chemical Industry; China; chromosomal damage; Cytokinesis; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA damage; DNA microarrays; DNA repair; Exposure; Family medical history; Female; Gene expression; Health care; Humans; Lymphocytes; Male; Micronuclei; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - chemically induced; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - statistics & numerical data; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; miRNAs; Monomers; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Peripheral blood; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polymerization; Polyvinyl chloride; Prostate; Reverse transcription; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Tumorigenesis; Vinyl chloride; Vinyl Chloride - toxicity; Workers; United States > US; China; miRNAs; chromosomal damage; vinyl chloride
• ISSN: 1750-1911; 1750-192X; 1750-192X
• DOI: 10.2217/epi-2017-0028

To identify differently expressed miRNAs associated with vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and micronuclei (MN) frequency. In discovery stage, we used microarray to detect miRNAs expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes between six low and six high VCM-exposed workers grouped by medium cumulative exposure dose. Then we validated four miRNAs using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and detected the micronuclei frequencies using cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in 94 VCM-exposed workers and 53 healthy control subjects. We found eight miRNAs significantly downregulated and seven miRNAs upregulated (|Fold Change| >2; p < 0.05) in the high-exposure group through microarray. We validate that miR-222-3p, miR-146a-5p and miR-151a-5p were downregulated, while miR-22-3p was upregulated in VCM-exposed group (all p < 0.01). Furthermore, we found that expression of miR-22-3p was upregulated in the high micronuclei (MN) frequency subjects. In conclusion, our study suggested that these four miRNAs could be biomarkers of VCM exposure, and moreover miR-22-3p was correlated with MN frequency.