Evaluation of microRNA profile in cervical epithelium for predicting cervical cancer recurrence

Abstract

Background: To predict the development and recurrence of cervical cancer (CC), we selected three oncoassociated miRNAs: miRNA-20a, -21, whose overexpression leads to the development of tumors, and -23b, which acts as an oncosuppressor.Aim: To evaluate the microRNA profile in the cervical epithelium for predicting CC recurrence in patients who underwent early treatment.Materials and methods: In the study of the informativeness of expression included 145 patients with T1a1-T2a1N0M0 CC who were followed up for 2 years after treatment. Expression of microRNA-20a, -21 and -23b was analyzed in tumor tissue samples.Results: The risk of recurrence decreased from 1.0 to 0.92 after 1 year of the follow-up, and to 0.84 after 2 years. The initial expression of microRNA20a and -21 in the cervical epithelium in patients with recurrent CC was 44% and 47% higher, respectively, than in patients without recurrence, while microRNA-23b expression was 46% lower. When initial levels of microRNA-20a and -21 expressions were 1.08 and 1.18, respectively, the risk of CC recurrence during the first two years after the surgery increased by 10.15 and 7.62 times, respectively. MicroRNA-20a expression in cervical epithelium equal to 1.08 was associated with 23% risk, and equal to 1.4 – with 79.7% risk. MicroRNA-21 expression equal to 1.18 was associated with 15% risk of CC recurrence; equal to 1.4 – with 55.5% risk; equal to 1.7 – 94.6%. Logistic regression showed that recurrence risks increased sharply when microRNA-23b expression declined.Conclusion: We registered higher levels of microRNA-20a and -21 expressions and lower microRNA-23b expression in patients with recurrent CC, compared to favorable course of the disease. An analysis of the expression profiles of microRNA-20a, -21 and -23b after CC diagnosis allow prognosis of recurrence risks within 2 years after the tumor removal surgery.