title: Upregulation of micro-ribonucleic acid-128 cooperating with downregulation of PTEN confers metastatic potential and unfavorable prognosis in patients with primary osteosarcoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Abnormal expression of micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA [miR])-128 has been observed in various human cancer types, and its validated target genes are implicated in cancer-related cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Especially, it has been demonstrated that miR-128 may play an important role in the proliferation of human osteosarcoma cells in vitro by directly inhibiting PTEN, which functions as a tumor suppressor in this malignancy. In the current study, we investigated the involvement of miR-128 and its target gene PTEN in tumor progression and prognosis in patients with primary osteosarcoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression levels of miR-128 and PTEN messenger RNA in osteosarcoma and noncancerous bone tissues obtained from 100 patients with primary osteosarcoma were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression levels of miR-128 and PTEN messenger RNA in osteosarcoma tissues were significantly higher and lower, respectively, than those in noncancerous bone tissues (both P<0.001). In addition, high miR-128 expression and low PTEN expression, alone (miR-128-high or PTEN-low) or combined (miR-128-high/PTEN-low), were all dramatically associated with poor response to chemotherapy and positive metastasis. More importantly, the associations of miR-128-high/PTEN-low expression with these clinicopathological parameters were more significant than miR-128-high or PTEN-low alone. Finally, miR-128 expression, PTEN expression, miR-128/PTEN expression, the response to chemotherapy and the metastatic status were all identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival and disease-free survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate for the first time that the deregulation of miR-128 and its target gene PTEN may be involved in the aggressive progression of human osteosarcoma. Notably, the upregulation of miR-128 cooperating with the downregulation of PTEN may confer an unfavorable prognosis in patients with this malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Bone Neoplasms Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics Department, Central Hospital, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Bone Neoplasms Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Haoshaqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Bone Neoplasms Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qingfu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Bone Neoplasms Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kunli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Joint Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: clinicopathological parameter; microRNA-128; osteosarcoma; phosphatase and tensin homolog; prognosis