Association of miR-1251-5p/miR-6892-5p Expression With Clinicopathological Factors in Premenopausal Endometrial Cancer

Background: This study is aim to profile the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) of premenopausal endometrial cancer (EC), identify their target genes and understand their roles in carcinogenesis. Methods Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on 3 premenopausal EC and 3 premenopausal normal endometrial tissues. Selection of candidate miRNAs and subsequent validation were performed by qRT-PCR on 20 premenopausal EC, 30 premenopausal normal endometrial and 40 postmenopausal EC samples. The relationship between DEMs and clinical characteristics was analyzed. Moreover, bioinformatic software programs and databases were applied to predict miRNA target genes, molecular functions, and signaling pathways. Results 136 upregulated and 131 downregulated DEMs were identified. The expression of miR-1251-5p was highly upregulated in premenopausal EC samples compared with premenopausal normal endometrial samples and significantly downregulated compared with postmenopausal EC samples. The expression of miR-6892-5p was highly upregulated in premenopausal EC samples compared with premenopausal normal endometrial samples and postmenopausal EC samples. In the premenopausal EC group, miR-1251-5p expression was closely correlated with menarche age, number of pregnancies, tumor grading, myometrial infiltration and lymph node metastasis; miR-6892-5p expression was closely correlated with BMI, hypertension, tumor grading, and metastasis. Conclusions miR-1251-5p and miR-6892-5p may play important roles in tumorigenesis progression of premenopausal EC.