Regulatory network of microRNAs, target genes, transcription factors and host genes in endometrial cancer

hsa-miRNA-154-5p expression in plasma of endometriosis patients is a potential diagnostic marker for the disease

RESEARCH QUESTION

As microRNA (miRNA) are stable in circulation, this study tested whether they could serve as putative non-invasive biomarkers for endometriosis, and their expression differences between endometriosis patients and controls. It also addressed whether the combination of differently expressed miRNA together with clinical parameters in a statistical model could distinguish between endometriosis patients and controls.

DESIGN

This prospective cohort study explored the possibility of using changes in extracellular miRNA spectra in plasma of 51 patients with endometriosis compared with 41 controls combined with clinical data as non-invasive biomarkers for the disease. The project was divided into three different phases for biomarker screening, discovery and validation. The differences in expression levels of plasma miRNA obtained from women with and without endometriosis were analysed with quantitative PCR-based microarrays. The diagnostic performance of the selected individual and/or combined differentially expressed miRNA candidates and clinical parameters was assessed using in silico bioinformatics modelling and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

Data showed that a specific plasma miRNA signature is associated with endometriosis and that hsa-miR-154-5p, which alone or in combination with hsa-miR-196b-5p, hsa-miR-378a-3p, and hsa-miR-33a-5p and the clinical parameters of body mass index and age, are potentially applicable for non-invasive diagnosis of the disease. Changes in the levels of expression of certain circulating plasma miRNA also occurred within the phases of the menstrual cycle.

CONCLUSIONS

miRNA seem to be promising candidates for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis. Further, other clinical parameters may help in distinguishing women suffering from endometriosis from healthy individuals.

Identification of Key Candidate Genes and Pathways in Endometrial Cancer by Integrated Bioinformatical Analysis

Endometrial Cancer is the most common female genital tract malignancy, its pathogenesis is complex, not yet fully described. To identify key genes of Endometrial Cancer we downloaded the gene chip GSE17025 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through the GEO2R analysis tool. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis were performed for DEGs using DAVID database. The network of protein–protein-interaction (PPI) was established by STRING website and visualized by Cytoscape. Then, functional and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGS were performed by DAVID database. A total of 1000 significant differences genes were obtained, contain 362 up-regulated genes and 638 down-regulated genes. PCDH10, SLC6A2, OGN, SFRP4, TRH, ANGPTL, FOSB are down-regulated genes. The gene of IGH, CCL20, ELF5, LTF, ASPM expression level in tumor patients are up-regulated. Biological function of enrichment include metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, MAPK signaling pathway, Serotonergic synapse, Protein digestion and absorption, IL-17 signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway. All in all, the current study to determine endometrial differentially expressed genes and biological function, comprehensive analysis of intrauterine membrane carcinoma pathogenesis mechanism, and might be used as molecular targets and diagnostic biomarkers for the treatment of endometrial cancer.