Based on individual microarray intensities for selected genes (Additional file 11) and a systemic literature search we selected for further studies four genes most significantly differentiating the HF from non-HF patients: formin 1 (FMN1), Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2), ribonuclease, RNase A family, 1 (pancreatic) (RNASE1), and TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1). Here, RNASE1 is linked to hydrops fetalis.