Expression of microRNA-142-3p in cervical cancer and its correlation with prognosis

The aim of current study was to assess the association between miR-142-3p expression and the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess the expression level of miR-142-3p in cervical cancer tissues and matched normal tissues. Then, statistical analysis was performed to determine the associations of miR-142-3p expression with the clinical features and the prognosis of cervical cancer.

Significantly lower levels of miR-142-3p was observed in the cervical cancer tissue, compared with the adjacent normal cervical tissue from the same patient (p < 0.05). Low miR-142-3p expression level was significantly associated with advanced FIGO stage (p = 0.002), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.005), and depth of cervical invasion (p = 0.006). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with low miR-142-3 expression had poorer overall survival and progression-free survival (p < 0.001, respectively). The univariate proportional hazard model suggested that FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, depth of cervical invasion and miR-142-3p expression level were prognostic predictors. Finally, Multivariate survival analysis also confirmed that miR-142-3p could be an independent prognostic marker for both overall survival and progression-free survival.

MiR-142-3p may be a potential novel biomarker that predicts prognosis in cervical cancer.