BACKGROUND:Several placental microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as pregnancy-associated molecules with the potential for use in estimating the condition of the placenta. Our understanding of these novel molecules is still limited, however. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize pregnancyassociated miRNAs in maternal plasma.

Our data suggest that reduced expression in placenta of certain FGR placenta-specific miRNAs is associated with FGR and that the discrepancy between expression in FGR placenta and their circulating levels in maternal plasma will be crucial to understanding how placenta-specific microRNAs are released into the maternal circulation.

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Increased levels of C19MC microRNAs in maternal plasma are a characteristic phenomenon of established severe pre-eclampsia, and it has been shown for the first time that the upregulation of C19MC miRNAs occurred as a consequence of, not in advance of, the onset of pre-eclampsia.

The cell-free PL mRNA concentration in maternal plasma has the potential to predict a subgroup of placenta accreta resulting in hysterectomy.