OBJECTIVETo determine the microRNA (miRNA) expression signature and its clinical significance in endometrioid carcinoma (EC).

METHODSThe miRNA profiles were analyzed by miRNA microarray in 73 cases of EC. The expression level of the eight selected miRNAs were measured by real-time fluorescent quatitative PCR(qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to assess the status of PTEN, a potential target of the selected miRNAs.

RESULTS(1) Using TaqMan low-density arrays, 47 miRNAs that differed between EC and normal controls were identified, including 26 down-regulated and 21 up-regulated miRNAs. (2) To confirm the miRNA expression pattern in typeIEC, the expression levels of the eight selected miRNAs were evaluated in a new set of 58 cases of typeIEC by individual miRNA qRT-PCR assays. Three miRNAs (miR-141, miR-200a, miR-205) were up-regulated and two miRNAs (miR-143, miR-145) were down-regulated. These were significantly differentially expressed in typeIEC and normal controls (P < 0.05), whereas such difference was not present in type II tumors compared to normal controls. (3) In typeIEC, loss of PTEN was more frequent in the miR-141 or miR-200a up-regulated subgroups, and the correlation between the PTEN and miR-200a status in typeItumors was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEC may have a unique miRNA expression profile. The expression levels of the five miRNAs (miR-141, miR-200a, miR-205, miR-143, miR-145) are significantly deregulated in typeIEC compared to normal control but not in typeIItumors. The findings suggest that the miRNAs related to type Iand typeIIEC might be different. PTEN might be a potential target of miR-141 and miR-200a in endometrial carcinogenesis.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; genetics ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; genetics ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; classification ; genetics ; Endometrium ; metabolism ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: To compare the expression patterns of microRNA (miRNA) between 144 Uygur and Han women with endometrial carcinoma and to investigate their clinical significance. METHODS: Taqman miRNA low-density array was used to compare miRNA profiles between Uygur and Han women with non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (NEEC). Five miRNAs were further analyzed in the 144 endometrial cancers including 62 Uygur and 82 Han samples via real-time PCR to determine their expression patterns. RESULTS: MiRNA expression profiles revealed that many miRNAs overexpressed or downregula-ted in one ethnic group, but did not express or changed slightly in the other ethnic group. Further detection in the 144 endometrial cancers showed that miR-141, miR-200a, and miR-205 overexpressed in both ethnic groups. In Uygur endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC), tumors with miR-141/200a overexpression tended to be more aggressive in behavior, whereas in the Han group, EEC with miR-200a overexpression was relative mild. However, the NEEC with miR-200a overexpression also had aggressive clinicopathologic features in the Han women. MiR-145 and miR-143 expressed differentially between Uygur and Han groups, they overexpressed in the former and decreased in the latter (P<0.05). In the Uygur women miR-145/143 increased significantly in NEEC and there was a trend that NEEC exhibiting favorable clinicopathologic factors had higher miR-145 expression, and was statistically significant in tumors with myometrial invasion less than 1/2 thickness (P=0.042). By contrary, miR-145/143 decreased in Han group and EEC with worse clinicopathologic variables had lower expression although without statistical significance. NEEC in Han group had no such tendency. CONCLUSION Uygur and Han women might have different miRNA expression profiles. MiR-141/200a/205 overexpressed in endometrial carcinomas and miR-141/200a might behave differently between these two ethnic groups as well as in EEC and in NEEC. Although miR-145/143 showed inverse expression patterns between Uygur and Han women with endometrial cancer, they all exerted tumor suppression effect on endometrial cancer.
Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; China ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Ethnicity ; Female ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction