MicroRNA-21 expression in cancer cells is an independent biomarker of progression-free survival of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma

Virchows Arch. 2021 Nov;479(5):883-891. doi: 10.1007/s00428-021-03171-w. Epub 2021 Jul 31.

Abstract

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological cancers. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is the most consistently overexpressed miRNA in almost all human cancer types, and it might be a useful clinical biomarker and therapeutic target. However, its precise localization and significance in endometrial carcinoma have not been clarified. This study aimed to examine miR-21 expression in endometrial carcinoma and reveal its clinicopathological importance. We investigated miR-21 expression by in situ hybridization (ISH) using locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified probes in 230 endometrial carcinoma patients. We evaluated miR-21 expression in cancer cells and stroma separately. High miR-21 expression in cancer cells was significantly associated with higher histological grade and lymph node metastasis. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, high miR-21 expression in cancer cells was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival. In particular, in endometrioid carcinoma, high miR-21 expression in cancer cells was an independent prognostic factor associated with poor progression-free survival, as well as older age and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage.

Keywords: Endometrioid carcinoma; In situ hybridization; Prognosis; Uterine corpus cancer; miR-21.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / secondary
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / therapy
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / mortality
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / pathology
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / analysis
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human