title: [MicroRNA-33a regulates the invasion of cervical cancer cells via targeting Twist1].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the expression of Twist1 in cervical cancer and to explore its biological function in the progression of cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of Twist1 in 32 cervical cancers and matched normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Cell invasive ability and the expression of invasion-related genes were determined in RNAi-based Twist1-silencing HeLa cells. The relationship between Twist1 and microRNA-33a (miR-33a) in cervical cancer was studied by Pearson correlation analysis, and the roles of miR-33a in regulation of Twist1 and cell invasiveness were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rate of Twist1 was 75.0% (24/32) and 21.9% (7/32) in the cervical cancer and the matched normal tissues, respectively, with significant difference between them (P<0.05). Twist1 shRNA significantly decreased the invasiveness of HeLa cells (P<0.05). Compared with the matched normal tissues, the expression of miR-33a was increased in the cervical cancer tissues, which was negatively correlated with Twist1 (r=-0.661, P<0.05). Overexpression of miR-33a could significantly suppress Twist1 expression as well as cell invasiveness (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twist1 is critical for the invasiveness of cervical cancer cells; miR-33a, as a tumor suppressor gene, functions as an upstream regulator of Twist1 and is involved in the invasiveness of cervical cancer cell.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410013;. Department of Anesthesiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Second Hospital of  Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
authors.forename: Pingli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
authors.forename: Guancheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C550416:MIRN33a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C103173:TWIST1 protein, human; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1