MicroRNA characteristics in epithelial ovarian cancer

PLoS One. 2021 Jun 4;16(6):e0252401. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252401. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to clarify differences in microRNA expression according to clinicopathological characteristics, and to investigate if miRNA profiles could predict cytoreductive outcome in patients with FIGO stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer. Patients enrolled in the Pelvic Mass study between 2004 and 2010, diagnosed and surgically treated for epithelial ovarian cancer, were used for investigation. MicroRNA was profiled from tumour tissue with global microRNA microarray analysis. Differences in miRNA expression profiles were analysed according to histologic subtype, FIGO stage, tumour grade, type I or II tumours and result of primary cytoreductive surgery. One microRNA, miR-130a, which was found to be associated with serous histology and advanced FIGO stage, was also validated using data from external cohorts. Another seven microRNAs (miR-34a, miR-455-3p, miR-595, miR-1301, miR-146-5p, 193a-5p, miR-939) were found to be significantly associated with the clinicopathological characteristics (p ≤ 0.001), in our data, but mere not similarly significant when tested against external cohorts. Further validation in comparable cohorts, with microRNA profiled using newest and similar methods are warranted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

Funding the study was supported by: The Mermaid Project, awarded to CH and EH, https://www.mermaidprojektet.dk/en/frontpage/. Danish Cancer Research Foundation, awarded to KPP, https://www.dansk-kraeftforsknings-fond.dk/. Herlev Hospital Research Council, awarded to EH, https://www.herlevhospital.dk/forskning. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decisions to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Medical Prognosis Institute A/S (MPI), https://medical-prognosis.com/, performed the microarray analyses and provided study reagents for the analyses. MPI was not engaged in any other part of the scientific content of this paper, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Their participation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.