Dysregulation of autophagy-associated microRNAs in condyloma acuminatum

Condyloma acuminatum, which is caused by low-risk human papillomavirus (lrHPV) infection, is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Autophagy is thought to be associated with condyloma acuminatum, but how the autophagy process is regulated remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene transcription that play a central role in many biological processes, including autophagy and viral infection. This study was designed to identify autophagy-related miRNAs and their targets in condyloma acuminatum and to validate their expression. The levels of the autophagy proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and P62/SQSTM1 (P62) were abnormally increased in the local lesion tissue of condyloma acuminatum patients compared with healthy controls. MiRNAs and their target mRNAs in condyloma acuminatum patients were analyzed by bioinformatics. Eighty-one differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, of which 56 were downregulated and 25 were upregulated. Two of the differentially expressed miRNAs associated with autophagy, miRNA-30a-5p and miRNA-514a-3p, were analyzed further, and their target genes were identified as autophagy-related protein (Atg) 5 and Atg12 and Atg3 and Atg12, respectively. The expression levels of miRNA-30a-5p and miRNA-514a-3p were decreased and those of Atg5, Atg12 and Atg3 were increased in condyloma acuminatum patients compared with healthy controls. In addition, miRNA-30a-5p and miRNA-514a-3p expression correlated with the proliferation index Ki-67 in condyloma acuminatum. Taken together, our results suggest that the changes in autophagy levels in patients with condyloma acuminatum may be related to the changes in miRNA-30a-5p and miRNA-514a-3p expression. This study provides a theoretical basis for identifying new mechanisms that link miRNAs, HPV infection and host autophagy in vivo.