Screening of Differently Expressed miRNA and mRNA in Prostate Cancer by Integrated Analysis of Transcription Data

The purpose of this study was to screen aberrantly expressed miRNAs and genes in prostate cancer (PCA), and further uncover the underlying mechanisms for the development of PCA.

We searched the Gene Expression Omnibus database for miRNA and gene expression datasets of PCA, and then separately integrated miRNA and gene expression datasets to identify miRNA and gene expression profiles in PCA. Target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted through miRWalk database. We matched these target genes with the list of differentially expressed genes to identify miRNA-target gene pairs whose expression was inversely correlated. The function of these target genes was annotated.

Twenty-nine differentially expressed miRNAs and 946 differentially expressed genes were identified between PCA and normal control. Seven hundred fifty-one miRNA-target gene pairs that showed inverse expression in PCA were obtained to establish a regulatory network. In this regulatory network, 10 genes (BCL2, BNC2, CCND2, EPM2A, MRAS, NAV2, RASL12, STK33, TCEAL1, WWC2) were co-regulated by 5 miRNAs (hsa-miR-106b, hsa-miR-130b, hsa-miR-93, hsa-miR-153, hsa-miR-182). The expression of hsa-miR-182 was significantly associated with PCA survival through the online validation tool of SurvMicro, suggesting the potential use as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker in PCA.

This integrated analysis was performed to infer new miRNA regulation activities, which provides insights into the understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of PCA, and guides for exploration of novel therapeutic targets.