The clinical significance of circulating miR-21, miR-142, miR-143, and miR-146a in patients with prostate cancer

J Med Biochem. 2022 Apr 8;41(2):191-198. doi: 10.5937/jomb0-32046.

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common type of solid tissue cancer among men in western countries. In this study, we determined the levels of circulating miR-21, miR-142, miR-143, miR-146a, and RNU 44 levels as controls for early diagnosis of PCa.

Methods: The circulating miRNA levels in peripheral blood samples from 43 localized PCa patients, 12 metastatic PCa (MET) patients, and a control group of, 42 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients with a total of 97 volunteers were determined the by PCR method.

Results: No differences in the DCT values were found among the groups. In PCa and PCaMet groups the expression of miR21 and miR142 were higher compared to the BHP group. No other differences were observed among the other groups. miR21 expression in the PCa group was 6.29 folds upregulated whereas in the PCaMet group 10.84 folds up-regulated. When the total expression of miR142 is evaluated, it showed a positive correlation with mir21 and mir 146 (both p<0.001). Also, the expression of miR146 shows a positive correlation with both miR21 and miR143 (both p<0.001). Expression of miRNAs was found to be an independent diagnostic factor in patients with Gleason score, PSA, and free PSA levels.

Conclusions: Our study showed that co-expression of miR21, miR-142, miR-143, and miR-146a and the upregulation of miR-21 resulted in increased prostate carcinoma cell growth. In the PCaMet group, miR21 is the most upregulated of all miRNAs. These markers may provide a novel diagnostic tool to help diagnose PCa with aggressive behavior.

Uvod: Karcinom prostate (PCa) je najčešći tip raka čvrstog tkiva među muškarcima u zapadnim zemljama. U ovoj studiji, odredili smo nivoe cirkulišućih miR-21, miR-142, miR-143, miR-146a i nivoe RNU 44 kao kontrole za ranu dijagnozu PCa.

Metode: Nivoi cirkulišuće miRNA u uzorcima periferne krvi određivani su PCR metodom kod 43 pacijenta sa otkrivenim PCa, 12 pacijenata sa metastatskim PCa (MET) i kao kontrolnom grupom kod 42 pacijenta sa benignom hiperpla zijom prostate (BPH) u ukupno 97 dobrovoljaca.

Rezultati: Nisu pronađene razlike u vrednostima DCT među grupama. U grupama PCa i PCaMet ekspresija miR21 i miR142 bila je veća u poređenju sa BHP grupom. Nisu uočene druge razlike među ostalim grupama. Ekspresija miR-21 u grupi PCa bila je 6,29 puta lošije regulisana, dok je u grupama PCaMet regulacija bila povećana 10,84 puta. Kada se proceni ukupna ekspresija miR-142, ona je pokazala pozitivnu korelaciju sa miR-21 i miR-146 (oba p<0,001). Takođe ekspresija miR-146 pokazuje pozitivnu korelaciju sa oba miR-21 i miR-143 (oba p<0,001). Utvrđeno je da je ekspresija miRNA nezavisan dijagnostički faktor kod pacijenata da Gleason skorom, i nivoima PSA i slobodne PSA.

Zaključak: Naša studija je pokazala da je ko-ekspresija miR-21, miR-142, miR-143 i miR-146a i povećana regulacija miR-21 rezultirala povećanjem rasta ćelija karcinoma prostate. U grupi PCaMet, miR-21 je bio najbolje regulisan od svih miRNA. Ovi markeri mogu pružiti novi dijagnostički alat koji će pomoći u dijagnostici PCa sa agresivnim ponašanjem.

Keywords: Prostate cancer; miR-142; miR-143; miR-146a; miR-21.