Long non-coding RNA DIRC3 suppresses trophoblast invasion in preeclampsia via upregulating HOXD10

Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a common and potentially serious pregnancy-related complication that contributes to morbidity and mortality of both mother and fetus. In this study, the association between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DIRC3 and the regulation of trophoblast invasion was analyzed. Objective This study aimed to identify gene modules associated with trophoblast invasion in the pathogenesis of PE. Results After the generation of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA)-based modules, the green module was found to be most significantly correlated with PE. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that PE-associated hub genes were enriched in the T cell activation and antigen processing and presentation pathways. Compared with HTR-8 cells, lower expression levels of DIRC3 and HOXD10 were found in JEG-3 cells, and HOXD10 overexpression could reverse the accelerated proliferation and invasion of HTR-8 cells observed following DIRC3 downregulation. Conclusion The results suggested that DIRC3 could suppress PE progression by promoting HOXD10 expression.