Abstract
Background
Numerous studies have been performed to discover predictive/prognostic biomarkers for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer development. More recently, microRNAs were suggested as possible biomarkers of HPV-associated cancers and our aim was to characterize the expression of let-7c in exfoliated cervical cells from women with cervical intraepithelial lesions.
Methods
Let-7c expression was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 73 women with normal or cervical intraepithelial lesions: normal epithelium with (n = 17) and without (n = 21) HPV infection; low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (n = 14); and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (n = 21).
Results
Data showed a trend to down-regulation in women with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (2−ΔΔCt = 0.38, p = 0.06) and a significant decreased expression of let-7c in women with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (2−ΔΔCt = 0.21; p = 0.004). The combined analysis of all cervical intraepithelial lesions revealed a down-regulation of let-7c expression (2−ΔΔCt = 0.27; p = 0.011).
Conclusion
Our results showed that let-7c expression is significantly changed in the different cervical intraepithelial lesions and its levels should be further investigated as a possible biomarker for cervical intraepithelial lesions using exfoliated cervical cells as the sample source.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Inês Baldaque (MD) from the Virology Service of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto for access to clinical and laboratorial data.
Author contributions
MM and JR were responsible for the experimental tests, data analysis, and manuscript writing; JR and HS were responsible for the experimental design; PM and JL were responsible for the clinical data of cases; RM was responsible for the study supervision; and HS was responsible for the study outline, data collection, and manuscript revision. All authors provided critical reviews and revisions of the manuscript.
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All authors declare no conflict of interest.
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M. Malta and J. Ribeiro participated equally in the study.
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40291_2015_145_MOESM1_ESM.tiff
Supplementary Fig. 1. ROC curve for Let-7c and high-grade intraepithelial lesion detection. AUC area under the plasma concentration time curve, ROC receiver operating characteristic (TIFF 1018 kb)
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Malta, M., Ribeiro, J., Monteiro, P. et al. Let-7c is a Candidate Biomarker for Cervical Intraepithelial Lesions: A Pilot Study. Mol Diagn Ther 19, 191–196 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-015-0145-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-015-0145-4