Identification of microRNA expression profile related to lymph node status in women with early-stage grade 1–2 endometrial cancer

Abstract

Conventional methods used for histologic classification and grading of endometrial cancer (EC) are not sufficient to predict lymph node metastases. microRNA signatures have recently been related to EC pathologic characteristics or prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether microRNA profiles of grade 1-2 endometrioid adenocarcinomas can be related to nodal status and used as a tool to adapt surgical staging in early-stage EC. microRNA expression was assessed in nine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) EC primary tumors with positive lymph node and in 27 FFPE EC primary tumors with negative lymph node, matched for grade, stage, and lymphovascular space involvement status. A microarray analysis showed that there was more than a twofold significant difference in the expression of 12 microRNAs between the two groups. A quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR assay was used to confirm these results: the expression levels of five microRNAs (microRNA-34c-5p, -375, -184, -34c-3p, and -34b-5p) were significantly lower in the EC primary tumor with positive lymph node compared with those with negative lymph node. A minimal P-value approach revealed that women with a microRNA-375-fold change o 0.30 were more likely to have positive lymph node (n = 8; 53.3%) compared with those with a microRNA-375-fold change 40.30 (n = 1; 4.8%), P = 0.001. Furthermore, women with a microRNA 184-fold change o0.30 were more likely to have positive lymph node (n = 6; 60.0%) compared with those with a microRNA 184-fold change 40.30 (n = 3; 11.5%), P = 0.006. This is the first study investigating the relative expression of mature microRNA genes in early-stage grade 1-2 EC primary tumors according to the nodal status. This microRNA expression profile provides a potential basis for further study of the microRNA function in EC and could be used as a diagnostic tool for nodal status.

Extracellular vesicles from endometriosis patients are characterized by a unique miRNA-lncRNA signature

“…Indeed, we found that patient plasma-derived EVs carry unique miRNAs compared with healthy control EVs, such as miR-30d-5p, miR-16-5p, and miR-27a-3p. When we accounted for the sample-type comparisons, we found selected miRNAs including miR-30d-5p, miR-27a-3p, and miR-375 that are unique to endometriosis, and these miRNAs were corroborated with findings from other groups implicating them in endometrial pathologies, including endometriosis (25)(26)(27).…”

MicroRNA‑27a promotes tumorigenesis via targeting AKT in triple negative breast cancer

“…Growing evidence has shown that some miRNAs are upregulated in cancer and behave as oncogenic characteristics, while some miRNAs are downregulated in cancer and act as tumor-suppressive miRNAs. Therefore, miRNAs play critical roles in each stages of tumorigenesis of many human cancers such as lung (11), endometrial (12), and colon cancer (13). miRNAs are promising potential targets for cancer treatment.…”

Preoperative Prediction of Lymph Nodal Metastases in Endometrial Carcinoma

“…47Y54 In addition, more sophisticated markers such as mRNA expression or tumor DNA ploidy status are but 2 examples of developments that could enhance predictive methods. 15,16 Until then, it would seem that surgical resection of LNs affords the most accurate way to determine involvement.…”

“…15 In addition, the expression levels of 5 microRNAs were found to be lower in LN-positive patients. 16 …”