Circulating MicroRNA-21 Is Involved in Lymph Node Metastasis in Cervical Cancer by Targeting RASA1

• Published in: International journal of gynecological cancer Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 810 - 816
• Main Authors: Zhang, Lingyun, Zhan, Xin, Yan, Dingding, Wang, Zhihua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Limited 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Case-Control Studies; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Movement - genetics; Cervical cancer; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Female; HeLa Cells; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymphatic system; Metastasis; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - biosynthesis; MicroRNAs - blood; MicroRNAs - genetics; Middle Aged; p120 GTPase Activating Protein - blood; p120 GTPase Activating Protein - genetics; Prognosis; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - blood; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - genetics; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - metabolism; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology
• ISSN: 1048-891X; 1525-1438
• DOI: 10.1097/IGC.0000000000000694

The aims of this study were to discover if increased circulating microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression in serum is associated with lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer and look further into the molecular mechanism of these. Whole-blood samples from 89 patients who have been histopathologically confirmed as having cervical cancer and 20 control subjects were collected, and then the association between lymph node metastasis and the level of circulating miR-21 was compared. Then cervical cancer cell lines HeLa (HPV-18 DNA, E6/E7RNA) and HT-3 (HPV DNA, E6/E7RNA) were used to confirm the interaction between miR-21 and RASA1. The role of RASA1 in cervical cancer cell migration was also studied in HeLa. Increased circulating miR-21 expression in serum is associated with lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer. MicroRNA-21 reduces RASA1 expression in cervical cancer cell lines and promotes cervical cancer cell migration via RASA1. Furthermore, Ras-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition contributes to miR-21/RASA1 axis promoting cervical cancer cell migration. Circulating miR-21 in serum could be a promising biomarker in auxiliary diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer, and inhibition of miR-21/RASA1 axis could be a possible strategy to restrain migration of cervical cancer.