Prognostic significance of miR-194 in endometrial cancer

Abstract

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the leading malignant tumor occurring in the female genital tract and some subtypes are highly invasive and metastatic. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that have a broad impact on cancer progression. In particular, miR-194 regulates epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by suppressing the expression of BMI-1 in EC. In this retrospective study, the clinical significance of miR-194 was investigated in archival EC specimens. We extracted total RNA from thirty-two EC samples and quantified the expression level of miR-194. We discovered that the expression level of miR-194 was significantly (P = 0.03) lower in type I EC patients with more advanced stage. In addition, patients with higher miR-194 levels have better prognosis than those with lower miR-194 levels (P = 0.0067; Cut-off value of miR-194 = 0.3). These results indicate that miR-194 has potential to serve as prognostic biomarker for EC patients.