title: Characterization of the microRNA expression profile of cervical squamous cell carcinoma metastases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of many physiological and pathological processes, including tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this study, we sought to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms of metastatic cervical carcinoma by performing miRNA profiling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue samples were collected from ten cervical squamous cancer patients who underwent hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node (PLN) dissection in our hospital, including four PLN-positive (metastatic) cases and six PLN-negative (non-metastatic) cases. A miRNA microarray platform with 1223 probes was used to determine the miRNA expression profiles of these two tissue types and case groups. MiRNAs having at least 4-fold differential expression between PLN-positive and PLN-negative cervical cancer tissues were bioinformatically analyzed for target gene prediction. MiRNAs with tumor-associated target genes were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine miRNAs were differentially expressed (>4-fold) between the PLN-positive and PLN-negative groups, of which, 22 were up-regulated and 17 were down-regulated. Sixty-nine percent of the miRNAs (27/39) had tumor-associated target genes, and the expression levels of six of those (miR-126, miR-96, miR-144, miR-657, miR-490-5p, and miR-323-3p) were confirmed by quantitative (q)RT-PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Six MiRNAs with predicted tumor-associated target genes encoding proteins that are known to be involved in cell adhesion, cytoskeletal remodeling, cell proliferation, cell migration, and apoptosis were identified. These findings suggest that a panel of miRNAs may regulate multiple and various steps of the metastasis cascade by targeting metastasis-associated genes. Since these six miRNAs are predicted to target tumor-associated genes, it is likely that they contribute to the metastatic potential of cervical cancer and may aid in prognosis or molecular therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University, Changsha, China E-mail : chshwuyilin@sina.cn.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yi-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ying-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fu-Fan
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: C527111:MIRN126 microRNA, human; C554293:MIRN144 microRNA, human; C573188:MIRN323 microRNA, human; C574862:MIRN490 microRNA, human; C582070:MIRN657 microRNA, human; C541492:MIRN96 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs