Down regulation of miR-143 is related with tumor size, lymph node metastasis and HPV16 infection in cervical squamous cancer

Value of non-coding RNAs to assess lymph node status in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth cancer in women and is the leading cause of cancer death in 42 countries. Lymph node metastasis is a determinant prognostic factor, as underlined in the latest FIGO classification. However, assessment of lymph node status remains difficult, despite the progress of imaging such as PET-CT and MRI. In the specific setting of CC, all data underlined the need for new biomarkers easily available to assess lymph node status. Previous studies have underlined the potential value of ncRNA expression in gynecological cancers. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the contribution of ncRNAs in tissue and biofluid samples to determine lymph node status in CC with potential impact on both surgical and adjuvant therapies. In tissue samples, our analysis found that there are arguments to support the role of ncRNAs in physiopathology, differential diagnosis from normal tissue, preinvasive and invasive tumors. In biofluids, despite small studies especially concerning miRNAs expression, promising data opens up new avenue to establish a non-invasive signature for lymph node status as well as a tool to predict response to neo- and adjuvant therapies, thus improving management algorithm of patients with CC.

Emerging Role of MicroRNAs in the Therapeutic Response in Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review

Cervical cancer is a common female cancer, with nearly 600,000 cases and more than 300,000 deaths worldwide every year. From a clinical point of view, surgery plays a key role in early cancer management, whereas advanced stages are treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation as adjuvant therapies. Nevertheless, predicting the degree of cancer response to chemotherapy or radiation therapy at diagnosis in order to personalize the clinical approach represents the biggest challenge in locally advanced cancers. The feasibility of such predictive models has been repeatedly assessed using histopathological factors, imaging and nuclear methods, tissue and fluid scans, however with poor results. In this context, the identification of novel potential biomarkers remains an unmet clinical need, and microRNAs (miRNAs) represent an interesting opportunity. With this in mind, the aim of this systematic review was to map the current literature on tumor and circulating miRNAs identified as significantly associated with the therapeutic response in cervical cancer; finally, a perspective point of view sheds light on the challenges ahead in this tumor.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO (CRD42021277980).

In vitro elimination of EL4 cancer cells from spermatogonia stem cells by miRNA-143- and 206-loaded folic acid conjugated PLGA nanoparticles

Aim: MiRNA's-143 and -206 are powerful apoptotic regulators in cancer cells. This study aimed to use miRNA-143- and 206-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles conjugated with folic acid to induce apoptosis in the EL4 cancer cells. Materials & methods: The therapy was conducted in six groups: Treatment with both miRNAs simultaneously (mixed miRNAs), miRNA-206 treatment, miRNA-143 treatment, blank PLGA, blank polyethylenimine (PEI) and complex PEI-miRNAs. Results: In terms of viability, in mixed miRNAs, no synergistic effect was observed on EL4 cell elimination. However, in the single miRNA-206 group, a stronger apoptotic effect was observed than the mixed miRNAs group and single miRNA-143 group alone. Conclusion: MiRNAs' apoptotic induction effects in cancer cells were found to be remarkable.

Maki C, Razavi SM, Koruji M. The Role of MicroRNA 143 and MicroRNA 206 in The Regulation of Apoptosis in Mouse Lukemia Cancer Cells and Spermatogonial Cells

OBJECTIVE

In cancer treatments, smart gene delivery via nanoparticles (NPs) can be targeted for cancer cells, while concurrently minimizing damage to healthy cells. This study assessed the efficiency of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-miR 143/206 transfection on apoptosis in mouse leukemia cancer cells (El4) and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, neonatal mouse spermatogonia cells and EL4 cancer cell lines were used. MicroRNA-PLGA NPs were prepared, characterized, and targeted with folate. Several doses were evaluated to obtain a suitable miR dose that can induce appropriate apoptosis in EL4 cells, while not harming SSCs. Cells were treated separately at 3 doses of each miR (for miR 143, doses of 25, 50 and 75 nmol and for miR 206, doses of 50, 100 and 150 nmol). The experiments were performed at 24, 48 and 72 hours. Viability and apoptosis were investigated by MTT and Annexin Kits.

RESULTS

Based on MTT assay results, the optimal dose of miR 143 was 75 nmol (59.87 ± 2.85 % SSC and 35.3 ± 0.78 % EL4) (P≤0.05), and for miR 206, the optimal dose was 150 nmol (54.82 ± 6.7 % SSC and 33.92 ± 3.01% EL4) (P≤0.05). The optimal time was 48 hours. At these doses, the survival rate of the EL4 cells was below the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) and SSC survival was above 50%. Annexin V staining also confirmed the selected doses (for miR 143 total apoptosis was 6.62% ± 1.8 SSC and 37.4% ± 4.2 EL4 (P≤0.05), and miR 206 was (10.98% ± 1.5 SSC and 36.4% ± 3.7 EL4, P≤0.05).

CONCLUSION

Using intelligent transfection by NPs, we were able to induce apoptosis on EL4 cells and maintain acceptable SSC survival rates.

A Systematic Review of MicroRNAs Involved in Cervical Cancer Progression

To obtain a better understanding on the role of microRNAs in the progression of cervical cancer, a systematic review was performed to analyze cervical cancer microRNA studies. We provide an overview of the studies investigating microRNA expression in relation to cervical cancer (CC) progression, highlighting their common outcomes and target gene interactions according to the regulatory pathways. To achieve this, we systematically searched through PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for all articles between April 2010 and April 2020, in accordance with the PICO acronym (participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes). From 27 published reports, totaling 1721 cases and 1361 noncancerous control tissue samples, 26 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified in different International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages of cervical cancer development. It was identified that some of the dysregulated microRNAs were associated with specific stages of cervical cancer development. The results indicated that DEmiRNAs in different stages of cervical cancer were functionally involved in several key hallmarks of cancer, such as evading growth suppressors, enabling replicative immortality, activation of invasion and metastasis, resisting cell death, and sustained proliferative signaling. These dysregulated microRNAs could play an important role in cervical cancer's development. Some of the stage-specific microRNAs can also be used as biomarkers for cancer classification and monitoring the progression of cervical cancer.

Downregulation of miR-143/145 Cluster in Breast Carcinoma Specimens: Putative Role of DNA Oncoviruses

Background: The DNA oncoviruses, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are among the most important infectious agents involved in breast carcinogenesis. These oncoviruses have a broad disrupting effect on cellular miRNAs and their functions, by which they contribute to carcinogenesis. Objectives: In this investigation, we evaluated the correlation between HPV and EBV and the expression level of tumor suppressor miRNAs (miR-143 and 145), clinical outcomes, and their association with stimulating inflammatory cytokines in patients with breast carcinoma. Methods: In our case-control study, 35 cancerous tissues and 35 adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected from 35 patients. Nested-PCR was set up for the detection of HPV and EBV genomes, and RT-qPCR was used for miRNA expression in the case and control groups. In addition, serum specimens were obtained from all patients (n = 35) and healthy controls (n = 35) to determine the IL-8 serum concentration. Results: We found HPV and EBV in 14.2% (10/70) and 7% (5/70) of all samples, respectively. The distributions of positive samples in the case and control groups were 25.7% (9/35) and 2.9% (1/35) (P = 0.006) for HPV and 11.4% (4/35) and 2.9% (1/35) (P = 0.164) for EBV, respectively. Besides, RT-qPCR showed that miR-143 and miR-145 were significantly downregulated in HPV and EBV-infected cases compared to non-infected ones (P < 0.05). Data also indicated that the promotion of metastasis status was related to miR-143/145 downregulation and HPV infection (P = 0.003). No significant difference was found in serum IL-8 concentration concerning viral infections. Conclusions: Our results suggested the possible involvement of viral infections in breast carcinogenesis and adverse clinical outcomes by downregulating miR-143/145.

MicroRNA-143 Sensitizes Cervical Cancer Cells to Cisplatin: a Promising Anticancer Combination Therapy

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is commonly used for cervical cancer treatment. However, the development of chemoresistance is considered the main obstacle to the effectiveness of this therapeutic agent. MicroRNAs are illustrated to play a major role in the regulation of cancer cell chemosensitivity. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic role of miRNA-143 in combination with cisplatin on cervical cancer cells. Then, CaSki cell line with low expression levels of miRNA-143 was selected for functional experiments. The cells were treated with miRNA-143 and cisplatin individually or in combination. The cell viability and apoptosis induction were evaluated by MTT, Annexin V-FITC/PI, and DAPI staining tests. Cell migration was further evaluated by wound healing assay. The effect of miRNA-143 and cisplatin combination on gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR. Furthermore, the combination therapy effect on cell cycle progression and autophagy induction was also evaluated by flow cytometry. Our results showed that miRNA-143 overexpression could increase cisplatin-induced apoptosis and increase the sensitivity of CaSki cells to low doses of this chemotherapeutic agent via modulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes including Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-9. Besides, miRNA-143 and cisplatin were demonstrated to cooperatively increase the cell cycle arrest at the sub-G1 and G2-M phases, induce autophagy activation, and via downregulation of vimentin inhibit CaSki cell migration. Moreover, c-Myc as an important regulator of cell growth was downregulated in treatment groups compared to the control. In conclusion, regarding that miRNA-143 could sensitize cervical cancer cells to cisplatin, it may be considered a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this malignancy.

MiRNAs as Novel Adipokines: Obesity-Related Circulating MiRNAs Influence Chemosensitivity in Cancer Patients

Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, capable of regulating distant physiological processes in other tissues via the release of adipokines into the bloodstream. Recently, circulating adipose-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as a novel class of adipokine, due to their capacity to regulate gene expression in tissues other than fat. Circulating levels of adipokines are known to be altered in obese individuals compared with typical weight individuals and are linked to poorer health outcomes. For example, obese individuals are known to be more prone to the development of some cancers, and less likely to achieve event-free survival following chemotherapy. The purpose of this review was twofold; first to identify circulating miRNAs which are reproducibly altered in obesity, and secondly to identify mechanisms by which these obesity-linked miRNAs might influence the sensitivity of tumors to treatment. We identified 8 candidate circulating miRNAs with altered levels in obese individuals (6 increased, 2 decreased). A second literature review was then performed to investigate if these candidates might have a role in mediating resistance to cancer treatment. All of the circulating miRNAs identified were capable of mediating responses to cancer treatment at the cellular level, and so this review provides novel insights which can be used by future studies which aim to improve obese patient outcomes.

A Functional Polymorphism in the Promoter of miR-17-92 is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma

miR-17-92 cluster was differentially expressed in cervical cancer, playing an important role in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms (i.e., rs9588884, rs982873, and rs1813389) in the promoter of miR-17-92 and the risk of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). The rs9588884 polymorphism was genotyped using a Taqman assay and the rs982873 and rs1813389 polymorphisms were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The expression levels of miR-17-92 were determined using a quantitative PCR analysis. The rs9588884 GG genotype was associated with a reduced risk of CSCC in homozygote comparison (adjusted OR = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.30-0.75, P = 0.001), dominant model (adjusted OR = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.50-0.91, P = 0.01), and recessive model (adjusted OR = 0.57, 95% CI, 0.38-0.85, P = 0.01). The rs9588884 G allele was also associated with a reduced risk of CSCC in allele comparison (adjusted OR = 0.71, 95% CI, 0.58-0.88, P = 0.002). Moreover, patients with the rs9588884 GG genotype had lower levels of miR-20a compared with the rs9588884 CC genotype (P = 0.03). These findings indicate that the rs9588884 GG genotype was associated with lower levels of miR-20a and eventually related to the risk of CSCC in Chinese women.

Identification and performance evaluation of housekeeping genes for microRNA expression normalization by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR using liquid-based cervical cytology samples

Screening for cervical cancer by cytology has been effective in reducing the worldwide incidence and mortality rates of this disease. However, a number of studies have demonstrated that the sensitivity of conventional cervical cytology may be too low for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN). Therefore, it is important to incorporate more sensitive molecular diagnostic tests that could substantially improve the detection rates and accuracy for identifying CIN lesions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs with the potential to provide robust non-invasive cancer biomarkers for detecting CIN lesions in liquid-based cervical cytology (LBC) samples. At present, there is no consensus on which are the best housekeeping genes for miRNA normalization in LBC. The present study aimed to identify housekeeping genes with consistent and reproducible performance for normalization of reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) expression analysis of miRNA using LBC samples. The present study firstly selected six potential candidate housekeeping genes based on a systematic literature evaluation. Subsequently, the expression levels of microRNAs U6, RNU-44, RNU-47, RNU-48, RNU-49 and hsa-miR-16 were measured in 40 LBC samples using RT-qPCR. The stability of each potential housekeeping gene was assessed using the NormFinder algorithm. The results revealed that U6 and RNU-49 were the most stable genes among all candidates requiring fewer amplification cycles and smaller variation across the sample set. However, RNU-44, RNU-47, RNU-48 and hsa-miR-16 stability exceeded the recommended housekeeping value suitable for normalization. The findings revealed that U6 may be a reliable housekeeping gene for normalization of miRNA RT-qPCR expression analysis using LBC samples.

Integrated Analysis of Mouse and Human Gastric Neoplasms Identifies Conserved microRNA Networks in Gastric Carcinogenesis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that bind to the 3' untranslated regions of mRNAs to promote their degradation or block their translation. Mice with disruption of the trefoil factor 1 gene (Tff1) develop gastric neoplasms. We studied these mice to identify conserved miRNA networks involved in gastric carcinogenesis.

METHODS

We performed next-generation miRNA sequencing analysis of normal gastric tissues (based on histology) from patients without evidence of gastric neoplasm (n = 64) and from TFF1-knockout mice (n = 22). We validated our findings using 270 normal gastric tissues (including 61 samples from patients without evidence of neoplastic lesions) and 234 gastric tumor tissues from 3 separate cohorts of patients and from mice. We performed molecular and functional assays using cell lines (MKN28, MKN45, STKM2, and AGS cells), gastric organoids, and mice with xenograft tumors.

RESULTS

We identified 117 miRNAs that were significantly deregulated in mouse and human gastric tumor tissues compared with nontumor tissues. We validated changes in levels of 6 miRNAs by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses of neoplastic gastric tissues from mice (n = 39) and 3 independent patient cohorts (n = 332 patients total). We found levels of MIR135B-5p, MIR196B-5p, and MIR92A-5p to be increased in tumor tissues, whereas levels of MIR143-3p, MIR204-5p, and MIR133-3p were decreased in tumor tissues. Levels of MIR143-3p were reduced not only in gastric cancer tissues but also in normal tissues adjacent to tumors in humans and low-grade dysplasia in mice. Transgenic expression of MIR143-3p in gastric cancer cell lines reduced their proliferation and restored their sensitivity to cisplatin. AGS cells with stable transgenic expression of MIR143-3p grew more slowly as xenograft tumors in mice than control AGS cells; tumor growth from AGS cells that expressed MIR143-3p, but not control cells, was sensitive to cisplatin. We identified and validated bromodomain containing 2 (BRD2) as a direct target of MIR143-3p; increased levels of BRD2 in gastric tumors was associated with shorter survival times for patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In an analysis of miRNA profiles of gastric tumors from mice and human patients, we identified a conserved signature associated with the early stages of gastric tumorigenesis. Strategies to restore MIR143-3p or inhibit BRD2 might be developed for treatment of gastric cancer.

Expression of Micro-RNA-492 (MiR-492) in Human Cervical Cancer Cell Lines is Upregulated by Transfection with Wild-Type P53, Irradiation, and 5-Fluorouracil Treatment In Vitro

Background

The status of p53 is critical to the chemoradiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. Wild-type p53 is essential to orchestrate the cellular response to cytotoxic stimuli. Our previous data illustrated that cervical cancer patients whose specimens overexpressed microR-492 (miR-492) were highly sensitive to concurrent chemoradiation. Although p53 activation has been reported to upregulate miR-492 by a miRNA profiling assay in lung cancer cells, the transcriptional regulation of miR-492 in cervical cancer cells remains poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to decipher the relationship between p53 and miR-492 in cervical cancer cells.

Material/Methods

The expression of p53 and miR-492 in cervical cancer cell lines was measured by western blot and real-time PCR. After cells were transfected with wild-type p53 plasmid or were treated by irradiation and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), the expression changes of p53 as well as miR-492 were examined by western blot and real-time PCR. The putative p53 binding site of miR-492 was first analyzed by bioinformatics tools, then validated by chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays.

Results

We found that miR-492 was upregulated in cells with wild-type p53 compared to cells with mutant p53. Transfection of wild-type p53 plasmid or treatments with cytotoxic reagents including irradiation and 5-FU all induced miR-492 overexpression. Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validations further proved p53 interacted with miR-492 promoter directly.

Conclusions

In cervical cancer cells, p53 activated miR-492 expression transcriptionally.

Identification of a microRNA signature associated with survivability in cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Background

The aim of this study is to find the potential miRNA expression signature capable of predicting survival time for cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) patients.

Methods

The expression of 332 miRNAs was measured in 131 (Training cohort) and 130 (Validation cohort) patients with CSCC in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal. The miRNA expression signature was identified by Cox Proportion Hazard regression model to the Training data set, and subsequently validated in an independent Validation set. Kaplan-Meier curves and the receiver operating characteristic analyses of 5 years were used to access the overall survival of miRNA signature. MiRNA signature-gene target analysis was performed, followed by the construction of the regulatory network. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were used to explore the function of target genes of miRNA signature.

Results

A 2-miRNA expression signature of hsa-mir-642a and hsa-mir-378c associated with survivability was identified in CSCC. Both of them had a significant diagnostic and prognostic value of patients with CSCC. A total of 345 miRNA signature-target pairs were obtained in the miRNA signature-gene target regulatory network, in which 316 genes were targets of has-mir-378c and has-mir-642a. Functional analysis of target genes showed that MAPK signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway and endocytosis were the significantly enriched signal pathways that covered most genes.

Conclusions

The 2-miRNA signature adds to the prognostic value of CSCC. In-depth interrogation of the 2-miRNAs will provide important biological insights that finding and developing novel molecularly prediction to improve prognosis for CSCC patients.

miR-494 inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation through upregulation of SOCS6 expression

It is unclear how microRNA (miR)-494 inhibits the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by altering the expression of SOCS6. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying miR-494 regulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling 6 (SOCS6) in human cervical cancer samples and the human cervical cancer HeLa cell line. The expression of miR-494 was determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, TargetScan was used to predict miR-494 target genes and the luciferase reporter assay was used to determine whether SOCS6 was a direct target of miR-494. The results of the present study demonstrated that compared with the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and normal cervical tissues, the miR-494 expression level in cervical cancer samples was significantly decreased (P<0.01). In addition, compared with normal cervical tissue, miR-494 expression level was significantly decreased in cervical intraepithelial lesions (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of miR-494 was associated with patients with or without lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and depth of stromal invasion (P<0.01); however, miR-494 expression was not identified to be associated with age, tumor size and menopausal status (P>0.05). Transfection of a miR-494 mimic significantly increased the expression level of miR-494 in HeLa cells (P<0.01), and anti-miR-494 transfection decreased the expression of miR-494 (P<0.01). An MTT proliferation assay and Boyden chamber invasion ability assay revealed that miR-494 mimic transfection significantly inhibited the proliferation, and invasion ability of HeLa cells (P<0.01), whereas anti-miR-494 transfection significantly increased the proliferation and invasion ability (P<0.05). SOCS6 was predicted, using bioinformatics, to be the target gene of miR-494 and this was validated using a luciferase reporter assay. Western blot analysis revealed that transfection of miR-494 significantly increased the expression of SOCS6 in HeLa cells, and transfection of anti-miR-494 significantly decreased the expression of SOCS6. Therefore, the results of the present study demonstrated that miR-494 expression in cervical cancer was significantly decreased. Exhibiting a decreased expression level of miR-494 may result in enhanced proliferative and invasive abilities of HeLa cell, thus contributing to the occurrence, and development of cervical cancer.

Involvement of miRNAs and Pseudogenes in Cancer

Our understanding of cancer pathways has been changed by the determination of noncoding transcripts in the human genome in recent years. miRNAs and pseudogenes are key players of the noncoding transcripts from the genome, and alteration of their expression levels provides clues for significant biomarkers in pathogenesis of diseases. Especially, miRNAs and pseudogenes have both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles in each step of cancer tumorigenesis. In this current study, association between oncogenes and miRNAs-pseudogenes was reviewed and determined in human cancer by the CellMiner web-tool.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of MicroRNA in Viral Diseases

Virology is probably the most rapidly developing field within clinical laboratory medicine. Adequate diagnostic methods exist for the diagnostics of most acute viral infections. However, emergence of pathogenic viruses or virus strains and new disease associations of known viruses require the establishment of new diagnostic methods, sometimes very rapidly. In the field of chronic or persistent viral diseases, particularly those involving potential of malignant or fatal development, there is a constant need for improved differential diagnostics, monitoring, prognosis and risk assessment. Increasing understanding of disease pathogenesis also enables better patient management and personalized medicine, where companion diagnostics can offer precise and specific tools for individual care. Very often the new tools are offered by molecular diagnostic techniques, and this includes the detection of microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small regulatory RNA molecules, which regulate the expression of their target genes. They are encoded both by viruses and their host, and both can target either viral or cellular gene expression. In this review the diagnostic possibilities offered by miRNA will be discussed. The focus will be on selected viral and human miRNAs in viral diseases, and examples of miRNAs of putative diagnostic potential will be presented.

Musashi-2, a novel oncoprotein promoting cervical cancer cell growth and invasion, is negatively regulated by p53-induced miR-143 and miR-107 activation

Background

Although previous studies have shown promise for targeting Musashi RNA-binding protein 2 (MSI-2) in diverse tumors, the role and mechanism of MSI-2 for cervical cancer (CC) progression and the regulation of MSI-2 expression remains unclear.

Methods

Using gene expression and bioinformatic analysis, together with gain- and loss-of-function assays, we identified MSI-2 as a novel oncogenic driver and a poor prognostic marker in CC. We explored the regulation of c-FOS by MSI-2 via RNA-immunoprecipitation and luciferase assay, and confirmed a direct inhibition of MSI-2 by miR-143/miR-107 using luciferase assay. We assessed the effect of a natural antibiotic Mithramycin A on p53, miR-143/miR-107 and MSI-2 expression in CC cells.

Results

MSI-2 mRNA is highly expressed in CC tissues and its overexpression correlates with lower overall survival. MSI-2 promotes CC cell growth, invasiveness and sphere formation through directly binding to c-FOS mRNA and by increasing c-FOS protein expression. Furthermore, miR-143/miR-107 are two tumor suppressor miRNAs that directly bind and inhibit MSI-2 expression in CC cells, and downregulation of miR-143/miR-107 associates with poor patient prognosis. Importantly, we found that p53 decreases the expression of MSI-2 through elevating miR-143/miR-107 levels, and treatment with a natural antibiotic Mithramycin A increased p53 and miR-143/miR-107 expression and reduced MSI-2 expression, resulting in the inhibition of CC cell proliferation, invasion and sphere formation.

Conclusions

These results suggest that MSI-2 plays a crucial role in promoting the aggressive phenotypes of CC cells, and restoration of miR-143/miR-107 by Mithramycin A via activation of p53 may represent a novel therapeutic approach for CC.

Comparison of the miRNA expression profiles in fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tonsillar tumors

MicroRNAs are considered as promising prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers of human cancer since their profiles differ between tumor types. Most of the tumor profiling studies were performed on rarely available fresh frozen (FF) samples. Alternatively, archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are also well applicable to larger-scale retrospective miRNA profiling studies. The aim of this study was to perform systematic comparison of the miRNA expression profiles between FF and macrodissected FFPE tonsillar tumors using the TaqMan Low Density Array system, with the data processed by different software programs and two types of normalization methods. We observed a marked correlation between the miRNA expression profiles of paired FF and FFPE samples; however, only 27-38% of the differentially deregulated miRNAs overlapped between the two source systems. The comparison of the results with regard to the distinct modes of data normalization revealed an overlap in 58-67% of differentially expressed miRNAs, with no influence of the choice of software platform. Our study highlights the fact that for an accurate comparison of the miRNA expression profiles from published studies, it is important to use the same type of clinical material and to test and select the best-performing normalization method for data analysis.

MicroRNAs in HPV associated cancers: small players with big consequences

INTRODUCTION

MicroRNAs (miRs) are short (~20 nucleotides) non-coding ribonuecleic acids (ncRNAs) known to be involved in cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, immune response, pathogenicity and tumourigenesis, among many others. The regulatory mechanisms exerted by miRs have been implicated in many cancers, including Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. Areas covered: In this review, the authors discuss the involvement of miRs (-143, -375, -21, -200, -296 etc.) that have been shown to be dysregulated in HPV-associated cancers. This review also encompasses both intracellular and exosomal miRs, and their potential as diagnostic biomarkers in saliva and blood. The authors have also attempted to dissect the functional impact of miRs on cellular processes such as changes in cellular polarity, loss of apoptosis and tumour suppression, and unchecked and uncontrolled cell cycle regulation, all of which ultimately lead to aberrant cellular proliferation. Expert commentary: Identification of dysregulated miRs in HPV-associated cancers opens up new opportunities to develop diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers. Studies on global expression patterns of miRs dysregulated in HPV-associated cancers can be instrumental in developing broader therapeutic strategies. Therapies like anti-miR, miR-replacement and those based on alternative natural products targeting miRs, need to be improved and better synchronized to be cost-effective and have better treatment outcomes.

LncRNA-TCONS_00026907 is involved in the progression and prognosis of cervical cancer through inhibiting miR-143-5p

Our previous long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) microarray revealed that lncRNA-TCONS_00026907 is aberrantly expressed between cervical cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. This study aims to explore the potential role of TCONS_00026907 in the development of cervical cancer. The expression levels of TCONS_00026907 in cervical cancer tissues and adjacent tissues from 83 patients of cervical cancer were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the survival rate was analyzed. In vitro, HeLa and SiHa cells were transfected with small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-TCONS_00026907, then cell proliferation, cycle distribution, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured. To confirm TCONS_00026907 regulates expression of ELK1 through inhibiting miR-143-5p, overexpression of miR-143-5p and silencing of ELK1 were, respectively, performed in HeLa and SiHa cells. Results showed that TCONS_00026907 level was significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues compared to noncancerous tissues and the survival rate was lower in the high expression group. Silencing of TCONS_00026907, overexpression of miR-143-5p and silencing of ELK1 inhibited cervical cell cycle, proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted apoptosis, respectively. Furthermore, silencing of TCONS_00026907 suppressed the growth of cervical tumors and altered the expression of ELK1, p-ELK1, C-fos, Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 in vivo. Our study identifies TCONS_00026907 as a potent proto-oncogene and indicates that TCONS_00026907/miR143-5p/ELK1 regulatory pathway plays an important role in cervical cancer.

MicroRNA-195 inhibits the behavior of cervical cancer tumors by directly targeting HDGF

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of conserved non-coding endogenous small regulatory RNAs that regulate target gene expression by binding to the 3′-untranslated region of target mRNAs in a base-pairing manner, resulting in repression of transcription or degradation of target mRNAs. It has been demonstrated previously that the abnormal expression of miRNAs is involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression, biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-195 in cervical cancer. The reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression level of miR-195 in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Following transfection, an MTT assay, cell migration and invasion assays, western blot analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed in human cervical cancer cells. In the present study, it was identified that miR-195 was downregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Additionally, upregulation of miR-195 and knockdown of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase reporter assay identified that HDGF was a direct target gene of miR-195. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis demonstrated that miR-195 mimic inhibited HDGF expression at the mRNA and protein levels, whereas miR-195 inhibitor enhanced HDGF expression at the mRNA and protein levels. These results indicated that miR-195 targeted HDGF to inhibit the behavior of tumors in cervical cancer. These results also suggested that miR-195 was a potential therapeutic biomarker of cervical cancer.

A New MicroRNA Expression Signature for Cervical Cancer

Background

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. The potential of microRNAs as novel biomarkers in cervical cancer is growing.

Objectives

In this study, we investigated the functions and targets of miR-466 in cervical cancer tissues.

Methods

Fresh cervical tissues were obtained from 157 patients with cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and healthy controls, and the tissues were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen until use. The RNA was extracted and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed.

Results

A total of 157 participants were summarized, including 56 patients with cervical cancer, 60 patients with CIN, and 49 healthy controls. The expression levels of miR-466 in cervical cancers (0.68) were higher than that in healthy controls (0.082) (P < 0.01). The average fold changes of miR-466 in the patients with CIN group and people group were 0.28 and 0.082, respectively (P < 0.01). It was a statistically significant difference in patients with lymph node involvement (P = 0.022). However, the expression of miR-466 was not correlated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages, tumor size, or vascular invasion (P = 0.506, P = 0.667, and P = 0.108, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the aberrant expression of miR-466 is closely associated with the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.

Molecular identification of miR-145 and miR-9 expression level as prognostic biomarkers for early-stage cervical cancer detection

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may act as carcinogen or tumor suppressor genes by targeting various biological molecules. Therefore, it is important to identify significant markers for prognosis, diagnosis treatment strategies of cancers.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical importance and prognostic value of miR-9 and miR-145 in cervical cancer.

METHOD

miRNAs expression was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in cervical cancer specimens and adjacent normal tissues.

RESULTS

MiR-9 up-regulated in cervical cancer specimens than adjacent normal tissues (9.743 ± 2.172 vs. 2.131 ± 1.083; P < 0.05). MiR-145 was decreased in cervical cancer specimens compared to corresponding normal tissues (2.189 ± 0. 724 vs. 7.173 ± 1.558 P < 0.05). In addition, increased expression of miR-9 was strongly linked to lymph node metastasis (P = 0.017) and vascular invasion (P = 0.011). On the other hand, the low expression of miR-145 was related to advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.007), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.02) and vascular invasion (0.026). Kaplan-Meier survival and log-rank analysis suggested that patients with high expression of miR-9 had shorter overall survival compared with those with low expression (log-rank test P = 0.028; P < 0.001). In addition, shorter overall survival time was remarkably linked to decreased expression of miR-145 (log-rank test P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis of miR-9 and miR-145 showed that FIGO stage (P = 0.011) high expression of miR-9 and low expression of miR-145 (P = 0.023; P = 0.031) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

miRNA-145 and 9 may be as potential prognostic marker in patients suffering from cervical cancer.

Deregulated miRNAs in human cervical cancer: functional importance and potential clinical use

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies affecting women worldwide. While the morbidity and mortality associated with CC are decreasing in western countries, they both remain high in developing countries. Unfortunately, many issues about molecular mechanisms of CC are not clear yet. miRNAs are a group of small noncoding RNAs that could post-transcriptionally modulate the expression of specific genes and participate in the initiation and progression of multiple diseases including CC. In the last decade, mounting evidences suggest an association between miRNAs and human papillomavirus infection, as well as variations in biologic behavior, treatment response and prognosis in CC. Herein, we highlight the latest findings in this area and the potential applications.

Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs in Meningiomas Grades I and II Suggest Shared Biomarkers with Malignant Tumors

Meningiomas represent the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system, but few microRNA (miRNA) profiling studies have been reported so far. Deep sequencing of small RNA libraries generated from two human meningioma biopsies WHO grades I (benign) and II (atypical) were compared to excess dura controls. Nineteen differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by RT-qPCR using tumor RNA from 15 patients and 5 meninges controls. Tumor suppressor miR-218 and miR-34a were upregulated relative to normal controls, however, miR-143, miR-193b, miR-451 and oncogenic miR-21 were all downregulated. From 10 selected putative mRNA targets tested by RT-qPCR only four were differentially expressed relative to normal controls. PTEN and E-cadherin (CDH1) were upregulated, but RUNX1T1 was downregulated. Proliferation biomarker p63 was upregulated with nuclear localization, but not detected in most normal arachnoid tissues. Immunoreactivity of E-cadherin was detected in the outermost layer of normal arachnoids, but was expressed throughout the tumors. Nuclear Cyclin D1 expression was positive in all studied meningiomas, while its expression in arachnoid was limited to a few trabecular cells. Meningiomas of grades I and II appear to share biomarkers with malignant tumors, but with some additional tumor suppressor biomarkers expression. Validation in more patients is of importance.

miR-143 down-regulates TLR2 expression in hepatoma cells and inhibits hepatoma cell proliferation and invasion

Hepatoma is a tumor with high degree of malignancy. A number of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes play certain roles in tumorigenesis and progression. Among which, miRNA, as an important class of gene regulators, play important roles in regulating tumorigenesis and development of hepatoma. So know well the unique molecular pathway is very important. Here, we showed that there is a different miR-143 expression patterns in different hepatoma tissues, and that miR-143 expressions contribute disease progress. By contrast, we down-regulated the expression of miR-143 with miR-143 mimics in HepG2 cells resulting in decreased proliferation. And the decreased proliferations of HepG2 cells were due to a G0/G1 arrest of cell cycle. During this progress, the increased apoptosis may be another major cause for decreased proliferation of HepG2 cells. And then, we found miR-143 down-regulation induced decreased mRNA and protein expressions of TLR2 and NF-κB. These results show that HepG2 cells depend to a greater extent on miR-143 for proliferation, and miR-143 down-regulation may induce a cell cycle arrest though TLR and NF-κB pathway. miR-143 blockade may be beneficial in therapy of Hepatoma.

Down-regulation of miR-1246 in cervical cancer tissues and its clinical significance

OBJECTIVE

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of mRNAs by binding to their 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs). Accumulating evidences show that miRNAs are involved in tumorigenesis such as lung cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer. In this study, we focused on the expression of miR-1246 in clinical cervical cancer tissues as well as the relationship between miR-1246 and HPV16E6 infection status.

METHODS

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology was used to detect the expression of miR-1246 in 68 cervical cancer tissues and 52 normal tissues. The expression of miR-1246 also was tested in HPV16E6 negative cervical cell line (SiHa) or HPV16E6 positive cell line (C33A). Western blot was performed to detect the expression of DYRK1A after knocking down HPV16E6.

RESULTS

Our data showed that the expression of miR-1246 was dramatically decreased in cervical cancer tissue, compared with normal control group (p=0.0012), and miR-1246 was negatively correlated with clinical stage and HPV16E6 infected status (p=0.0410), but no correlation was observed with age, tumor diameter, cervical invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, or vascular invasion (p>0.05). Knock down of HPV16E6 significantly raised DYRK1A protein expression targeted by miR-1246.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of miR-1246 is negatively correlated with cervical cancer procedure as well as HPV16E6 infection status and the miR-1246 may act as a diagnostic biomarker for cervical cancer. In addition, HPV16E6 infection may be a major reason leading to decrease the expression of miR-1246 in cervical cancer. This finding contributes to deep understanding of the miR-1246 function in cervical carcinogenesis.

A Functional Polymorphism in the Promoter of MiR-143/145 Is Associated With the Risk of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Chinese Women: A Case-Control Study

MiR-143/145 is down-regulated in cervical cancer, which may serve as a tumor suppressor by targeting KRAS and Ras-responsive element-binding protein (RREB1). Activated KRAS leads to down-regulation of miR-143/145 transcription in a RREB1-dependent manner, establishing a miR-143/145-KRAS-RREB1 feedback loop. A polymorphism rs4705343C/T in the promoter of miR-143/145 might influence the binding of TATA-binding protein. We hypothesized that the miR-143/145 rs4705343 and KRAS rs712 may be related to the occurrence of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). In this study, we genotyped the 2 polymorphisms in 415 patients with CSCC and 504 controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The promoter activities were measured by the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System. We found that the rs4705343TC genotype was associated with an increased risk of CSCC (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.80). The significantly increased association was also observed in a dominant genetic model (adjusted OR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.72). Combined analysis showed that individuals carrying the genotypes of rs4705343 TC/CC and rs712GT/TT had a 1.47-fold increased risk of CSCC (adjusted OR = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01-2.15). By using multifactor dimensionality reduction software method, we identified a significant interaction between the miR-143/145 rs4705343 and KRAS rs712. Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay showed that the luciferase activity was significantly lower in cells transfected with the rs4705343C allele than that of the rs4705343T allele. These findings indicate that miR-143/145 rs4705343 and KRAS rs712 may contribute to the etiology of CSCC in Chinese women.

Meta-analysis of microRNA expression profiling studies in human cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and numerous studies have associated the disease with changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression. This meta-analysis aimed to consolidate and assess the results of these studies in order to identify potential miRNA biomarkers of cervical cancer. We systematically searched the literature for studies comparing miRNA expression between cervical cancer tissues and normal cervical tissues, and we meta-analyzed the result of 27 studies comprising 1,132 cancer samples and 943 normal samples. We used a vote-counting strategy that took into account total sample and mean fold-change, in order to comprehensively assess associations between certain miRNAs and cervical cancer occurrence and progression. The studies described 195 miRNAs that were significantly up-regulated and 96 microRNAs that were down-regulated in cervical cancer tissues (stage I-IV) relative to normal cervical tissues. Vote-counting analysis showed that up-regulation was most consistently reported for miR-20a and miR-21 (four studies), followed by miR-10a, miR-15b, miR-20b, miR-141, miR-200a, and miR-224 (three studies). Down-regulation was reported most consistently for miR-143 (seven studies), followed by miR-203 and miR-145 (six studies). Fourteen miRNA, respectively, showed a significantly correlated lymphatic node metastasis in eight studies. This meta-analysis has identified several miRNAs whose expression correlates reliably with cervical cancer. These should be probed in further studies to explore their potential as diagnostic biomarkers.

Expression of P16 in high-risk human papillomavirus related lesions of the uterine cervix in a government hospital, Malaysia

Background

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. It is well established that human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the prime risk factor in the development of cervical cancer. The current screening and diagnostic tests have limitations in identifying the range of lesions caused by HPV. The current study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of p16 immunohistochemical (IHC) investigation in high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) related lesions of the uterine cervix in Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Malaysia.

Methods

A total of 75 cases were selected from the records of Pathology services, Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban. The samples were collected in three separate groups (n = 25 per group) as Carcinoma cervix, Carcinoma in situ and Chronic cervicitis. The demographic data of the patients and the representative paraffin blocks were retrieved from Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar, Seremban. The immunohistochemical staining with p16 and HPV 16 L1 were done on all cases. The staining intensity and density were observed and compared among the three groups of cases.

Results

Immunohistochemistry of p16INK4A staining shows nil (0/25) expression in the cervicitis patients, 72% (18/25) in CIN patients and 100% (25/25) in cervical carcinoma. HPV 16 L1 was positive in 100% (25/25) of cervicitis patients, 96% (24/25) of CIN patients and 40% (10/25) of cervical cancers patients. A chi square test was used to analyze the result and the obtained p value was <0.05.

Conclusion

p16 expression was strongly observed in cervical cancer and minimally observed in cervicitis. Thus indicating p16 immunohistochemistry investigations can aid in diagnosing the different categories of cervical lesions into benign, insitu and malignant.

Virtual Slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_202